


Leaving The North

by LottieDot



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Death at some point, Depiction of Oral Rape, Drug Use, F/M, Family Drama, Friendship/Love, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Music, Relationship(s), Sexual Content, Shocking Twists and Turns, Underage Drinking, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2016-02-21
Packaged: 2018-02-12 21:38:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 40
Words: 283,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2125539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LottieDot/pseuds/LottieDot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the Starks leave Winterfell for King's Landing they had no idea what was waiting for them. There are so many changes waiting for them, both gloriously good and the stuff of nightmares. What happens when Arya meets mister right, Sansa defends herself, Bran makes mistakes? What if Sandor is a closet geek, Gendry smart and Myrcella and Aegon fall in love? This is the story of the Starks and who they meet on the biggest adventure of their lives. Multiple POV's and chapters. Modern AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Saying Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> I have this story on another site and it is almost finished there. But I decided to post it here on AO3 after I did some editing. I hope I will be able to get the 41 chapters I have written and the two I have left up here as fast as I can. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter of the long story of Leaving The North. In a way this story is both finished and a work and progress.

Arya

Arya Stark stood on the shadows of the foyer of Stark Manor at the farewell party that her parents were having to say good bye to all their friends and families that were staying in Winterfell. Since she didn't have any friends there was no one that she wanted to say good bye to. She was glad to be rid of the girls that called her ugly and the boys that saw her as a way to get to her more attractive sister and popular brothers. She had never had a place at the school, never had friends, she was always alone. Some days Arya was so lonely and wished she could have friends, but then she would hear the other girls and the thought vanished.

"Oh Sansa we are going to miss you so very much. I can't believe that you are going to be leaving Winterfell High." A sad voice exclaimed to her sister.

"I will miss you all so much." Sansa said her voice muffled in what Arya figured was an embrace.

"And with Bran going to the school as well this year, it would have been so much fun for us all."

Arya had been going to the same school with the same people since kindergarten. She had known most of them since pre-school or birth. She never understood how they over looked her. She was a person too, a Stark as well. She should have been seen. Here she was invisible; here she was a no body. She could not wait to be going to a new school. She wanted to leave these people so bad she was shaking with excitement.

What she did not want to do is leave her home. Winterfell was the only place that she had ever called home. The place where she had learned to walk, swim, fight and watched her brothers try to fix the junk cars that they would con their father into buying for them. It was a wild and unforgiving place just like she was. She didn't want to trade a fresh start in a school for the place she called home. She would gladly stay at Winterfell High as Arya the invisible odd child of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.

But that was not going to happen. They would be moving South to a wealthy subdivision of Los Angels knows as Kings Landing. They were three months into the school year and they would still be moving. Her father was moving most of the family so he could help out his boyhood friend Robert Baratheon's failing business venture. A new life and a new start their father called it. All Arya wanted it to be was herself. Not new and not different, just herself.

As she stood there she realized she did not know who herself was. She watched the smiling happy faces of those around her and saw their confidence. She wanted that. She wanted to feel like she belonged somewhere. Even if it was fake, like all the girls who flocked around Sansa.

"I cannot believe that your father is making you move. You are such an inspiration to all the students at the school. And that younger brother is such a sensational student. There is going to be a large void created with you two no longer with us at Winerfell High."

"I know that Bran and I are both sorry to be leaving. We have so many happy memories of that has enjoyed his time there, even if it has only been three months" Sansa replied.

Arya can hear the slightly bored tone of voice her sister had been using this entire evening. Arya knew that her sister didn't want to leave, but Arya thought that Sansa might be ready to leave these people that were always around her.

Arya sucked in her breath. She recognized the voice of Principle Luwin. She was not surprised to note that she had been completely forgotten, and that her sister had not said anything about her either. She had hoped that at least the teachers would remember her. She was a good student. Her GPA never falling below a 3.5. But she knew that compared to her older sister, with her 3.75 GPA and her super smart brother who had jumped grades and always had a perfect 4.0 she was small potatoes.

She tried to blend farther into the shadows under the grand staircase where she was hiding. She had learned a long time ago to hide from people. But she also knew how to be seen and heard when she wanted to. And now she was fed up. She was tired of being ignored. Standing there in a house full of people that she had known most of her life she decided that at the new school things were going to be different.

She was going to find friends, she was going to find herself. Nothing was going to get in her way. She wanted to be somebody, not a nobody.

Sansa

"What are we going to do without our Prom Queen? I don't know who will win now that you are leaving."

Sansa was used to getting fawned over. People following her around and doting on her. Whether it was because of her father's money and power, her beauty and popularity or because they wanted something from her she had never lacked friends. Even the teachers at school let her get away with anything she wanted. Things were going to be very different going to Kings Landing High. She wasn't going to be popular there. She was not a vain person, but in her way she was obsessed with having people like her.

Sansa was unhappy about moving. She knew that she was a shoe in for prom queen here in Winterfell High. Sansa still felt the shock of finding out that they were moving during her senior year. The night her father had told the family of his plans she had felt like some one had hit her with a truck. All her hopes for Prom Queen were dashed. She had cried and pleaded with her parents not to make her move away, but nothing had worked. This move was the worst thing that could have happened to her.

She was Student Body President, sure to be valedictorian and was the captain of the cheer leading squad. Life here was perfect. Why in gods name would she want to move to some stupid place in the South? The people there wouldn't open their arms to her like people did in the North where she had grown up. She would be the new girl, at the bottom of the food chain. There was no way for her to get to the top. Her situation was hopeless and dismal. She was depressed and hated her parents for leaving, but she had to move on from that. She was starting a new life and that was not something ti go into with a cloud hanging over your head.

The one good thing that she could count on was that her family was wealthy and well known. Her mother was a great beauty and heiress in her day and her family name still meant something. And the name Stark was all over the papers lately due to her father's venture with Robert Baratheon. They were calling him the only person who could save Robert and his bad business decisions.

So at least the name Stark would mean something. It would make her a curiosity to the people who were the important people to impress at the new school. Her good looks and her résumé from Winterfell High would get her noticed. And if she used her charm and intelligence to get into the right circle there was still a chance that she could become Prom Queen of Kings Landing. Hope was not completely lost. But hope was a long way off from right now. She stood there and hugged her friends and cried with them. Tonight was a night for sadness and farewells.

Her hope was the only comfort that she had during the Farewell Party that her family was having. Her forced smile and condolences that she received were almost enough to make her break down and cry again. Instead she held onto the hope that her dream was not dead as she said her good byes to her old live.

Bran

Bran stood off to the side of the party with a glass of punch in one hand and a book in the other. He was never seen without a book, unless he was climbing or running. He watched as his sister Arya hid in the shadows and then as Sansa and her gaggle stood in front of Aryas hiding spot to say their touching good byes. He wasn't at all surprised to note that no one said good bye to Arya and almost every student that was at the house had said farewell to Sansa.

He had a few friends and team mates come and say their good byes to him. In the short time that he had been at Winterfell High he was surprised at how popular he had become. He knew that his teachers and coaches would be sad to see him leave, but not so much his fellow students.

He had asked Robb why he was more popular in high school then he was when he had been in all the grades before and his older brothers answer had been that Bran was just riding on his elder brothers reputations. Bran knew that he was joking with him, but at the same time he couldn't help but wonder if it was true.

Bran was anxious about starting a new school like his sisters, but his reasons were for a totally different reason. He was a year younger then everyone in his class. He was fine with it at Winterfell, everyone knew him and his family. But in Kings Landing no one would know him. He didn't want to just be that weird smart kid. He was also a track and cross country runner. He had already received word that he was on the teams at the new school, but he was still anxious.

What he was most excited about was that Kings Landing had some of the most advanced high school classes of any school in the North. He might actually be challenged this year in school. Everything just came too easy for him. Arya complained that he was a know it all and always had to be right. That wasn't the case. It wasn't his fault that he had a photographic memory. Or that he wanted to know the answer to everything. It was in his nature to question and explore.

He looked up to the top of the stairs to see his parents standing there. Eddard had his arm around his wife's waist and he was whispering something in her ear. She gave him a small smile then looked over the crowd. His mother elegant and calm, his father stoic and strong. Bran knew that there was going to be the fare well speech soon. He knew that the gist of the speech, having overheard his father going over it in his study earlier this week. Thankfully it was not going to be to long. He turned and wove his way to Aryas hiding spot.

"Hey there Shadow Cat." Bran said in greeting to his sulking sister.

"You know that I don't like it when you call me that," Arya huffed, giving her younger brother a playful shove.

"I don't see why. I would take it as a compliment. That's one of the names of the X-Men. You are as silent as a cat and hide in the shadows, I think it's an adapt nickname." Bran defended himself. "Anyway I came over to tell you that mother and father are getting ready to say their farewell speech. We have to go stand with everyone at the foot of the stairs."

The two made their way to the bottom of the stairs where the rest of the Stark family was standing. Robb was there looking like the best mixture of both parents. Their two adopted brothers, Jon and Theon were on the same step as Robb. Jon was the son of their father's sister who died in child birth and Theon was the heir to the Grayjoy Corporation. His parents had both died in a freak boating accident with his older siblings. He had been at Starks manor when it happened and just never left. Their youngest brother Rickon was there with his face covered in cupcake frosting and Sansa was trying to wipe it off with no success. Once Bran and Arya reached the family their father clanked his glass for everyone's attention.

"Friends, my family and I are all very honored that you have all come to say good bye to us. The older boys will still be around as they are enrolled in the University and Robb has consented to stay here and work in the Home Office. As you all know we are making the trip South to assist my oldest friend in a new business venture to strengthen our companies and expand them into something that we will be proud to pass onto our children someday. Our four youngest children will be accompanying Catelyn and I on this journey. It is difficult for us all to be leaving the love and friendship that we have all built here." Eddard paused to look around at the assembled crowd, meeting the eyes of longtime friends. "But it is not good bye forever. We will return. We Starks belong here. We are part of this land and won't be away from it long. With that Catelyn, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon and I wish you all farewell and the whole family wish you all a safe trip home." Ned and Catlin raised their glassed in a toast. Those who had glasses to rise in the audience raised theirs in a gesture of goodbye.

Arya

Her father's speech was short and to the point, yet a little sappy. Her family had just said their good byes to the 200 guests that had been in attendance. She was beyond tired and wanted nothing more then to go to sleep in her bedroom for the last time.

She has started up the stairs and was passing her father's study when his voice calling her name made her enter his office.

"Yes daddy?"

"I noticed that you didn't have any of your friends here and that you had no one to say good bye to. Didn't you invite your friends?" Ned asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

Her father was one of the smartest men that she knew, but for all that he saw and noticed he was truly blind.

"I don't really have any friends here dad. It's one of the reasons I was so keen on moving South. I am not like Sansa. I don't have a fan club to tie me down." Arya told her father truthfully.

Ned chuckled.

"Out of all my children you are the one I worry about the most. Well you and Jon. And I guess Bran as well, but not in the same extent as you two. You have to much of your aunt in you. She was head strong and didn't want to conform to what was expected of her either. I hope that you find what you are looking for in Kings Landing. Now come over here and give your old man a hug and get some sleep. It is a busy day tomorrow."

Arya walked willingly into her fathers opened arms. She truly loved her father. She was closer to him then her mother. She stayed in his embrace a moment longer then she expected. She savored the feeling of safety and love that she always associated with her father. He was so strong, so brave and so smart. In that moment no boy or man would ever be better then her dad.

"I love you daddy" Arya said into his chest, giving him one last squeeze.

'I love you too, Little Wolf. Now get to bed." Ned kissed the top of her head and pushed her to the door of the study.

Once in the hall she passed the rooms of her brothers and sister. Sansa's door was slightly opened and she heard a soft sound of muffled crying. Arya was going to stop, but decided against it. She went in search of her mother, knowing she could fix Sansa's problem.

She found Catelyn Stark in her bedroom looking at the near empty room.

"Mother I think Sansa is in her room crying. I was going to see what the matter with her was, but then I remembered I have no tact." Arya said walking into the room.

"Oh Arya what am I going to do with you? No tact indeed."

"At least I know what I have and where my short comings are." Arya shrugged.

Catelyn chuckled and walked over to her youngest daughter. She placed a kiss on her hear.

"Thank you dear. Now off to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

Arya walked to her bedroom. It was up one more flight of stairs and the smallest bedroom in the house. But compared to normal houses it was rather large. What made it small was that there was no sitting room attached like all the rooms on the floor below. Once upon a time her room was what would have been considered the servants quarters and would have housed six to eight girls. She loved looking out of the window and seeing the trees and the land of the estate. She would miss this view. She shut the door and went over to her bed and sat down. She stripped off her shoes and leaned back in her bed. Her room was almost empty. She signed and stood. She put her pajamas on and slipped into bed ready to sleep. She closed her eyes and was out within seconds.

Sansa

Sansa stood in her barren room looking around at the familiar surroundings. She had lived in this room for as long as she could remember. After tomorrow that would change. She would be in a new room, in a new house, in a new town. In that moment it was just to much. She flung herself onto her bed and sobbed.

She heard the soft tread of her mother's footsteps crossing the room. She felt her mother sit down on the bed. Her mother started running her hand over Sansa's hair. It was very soothing, something that her mother used to do when she was upset as a child.

"What is the matter sweetheart?" Her Catelyn finally asked once Sansa's sobs had died down.

"I just don't want to leave. Why can't I stay here? I only have one more year of school left."

"You know why dear. It is not the end of the world. You will see. You might even like Kings Landing." Catelyn tried to sooth her daughter.

"You have said all this before mother. I have already agreed to give it a try. But just for tonight let me be sad. Let me be angry, let me just be. I need to be sad and mad and mourn." Sansa turned away from her mother and buried her face in her pillow.

Catelyn stood and walked to the door. She took one last look at her heartbroken daughter and softly closed the door behind her. Sansa strained her ears to make sure her mother had walked away. Once she was sure she had she broke into an uncontrolled sob.

Bran

Bran placed his microscope softly into the packing case and tapped it up. He had been reluctant to pack his most valuable things. His books were already gone as well as his large computer system. He had his tablet and his Kindle Fire HD with him, but he still felt naked with out his whole computer system. He was not able to run any of the complicated searches he loved making. There was no way that he could be able to download anything that he wanted to see.

He was keeping most of his things here. All his fossils and the discoveries that he had found here on Winterfell. He had quite a collection of things from around the place. Many of them were very old. This land had been in his family since the first European people had set foot on the western coast of the United States. One of the first things he had ever researched was the history of his home.

There was a long and amazing history to this place. It was one of the things that Bran was going to miss most. He knew that L.A. was full of history and it was not something that was not impressive. He had read everything there was to read about it. He read about the businesses and the movie and the crime. He thought that he had a firm grasp of the place he was going to move to. He hated going to a place and not knowing anything about it. He had just finished a book about the political history of that part of the country and he was ready to finish packing.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Bran called.

Theon and Robb walked in the room.

"Fuck it looks so naked with out all of your books." Theon said as he flopped down on the bed.

"Yeah. It is a little weird to go to sleep in this room now. It echo's." Bran laughed to prove his point. His voice bounced off the walls. The three boys smiled at each other.

"Bran we wanted to ask you for some advice." Robb said.

"What do you want to know?" Bran sat on a chair and looked at his older brothers.

"We need to know about the Roman Empire. You see we have to compare the current business empires to the Roman times and all I know about Rome is from the movie Gladiator." Theon said.

"Um, I don't know if you can use that. Let me do some reading and I think I can help you. When do you need this info?"

"The end of next week." Robb says standing and stretching his back.

"I can do with that." Bran said. He smiled at his brothers and they walked out and they all said goodnight. Bran was finished packing, everything else was staying here. He turned off his lights and got into his bed for one last nights sleep in the room that had been his since he was a baby.


	2. Leaving The North

Bran

There was quite a hullabaloo when the Starks left for the airport the next day. Bran stood next to his father and watched as his little brother and oldest sister cried and had tantrums. Sansa had refused to leave her room and had not come down until their father had picked her up and carried her down stairs. She called him every bad word she knew, the worst ones aimed at him as Ned Stark walked with his eldest daughter in his arms. Bran knew that Sansa didn't want to leave home, but this was to much even for Sansa. Rickons and his behavior was more acceptable. He was the baby after all. They all let Rickon act a little wild, being the baby of the family.

Arya stood next to them leaning against the car with rather large sun glasses on. Bran knew that she was crying too, but he was smart enough not to tease her about it. She threw a mean punch when she was pissed. His mother tried to console her two wailing children and usher them into the car. Catelyn got Sansa into the car fifteen minutes later but Rickon was clinging onto the legs of one of the stone wolves beside the front door.

"I don't want to leave. I won't go, you can't make me!" Rickon screamed for what felt to Bran as the hundredth time in the last few minutes.

"Father he isn't going to budge. You will have to get him." Bran said looking over to his father.

"I know. I was just hoping he would get it out of his system here, and not on the plane." Ned sighed and pushed off the car that he had been leaning against.

Bran watched as his father detangled the hysterical Rickon from the statue and carried him to the car.

"It's lucky we are taking two town cars for a change. This way father can hold Rickon on the drive to the airport." Jon said before he ducked into the car that did not have the crying Stark children in them.

"It is a good thing father decided to use a privet plane and not a commercial one. We would have missed it if we had." Bran said slipping in next to Jon.

Arya slid in next to him and the driver came around and shut the door. Then the car with their parents and Rickon, Sansa and the manager of the estate Rodrik Cassel pulled away from the house. Bran could only imagine the hysteria that was going on in the car in front of theirs.

"I do not envy mother and father for being stuck with those two. I just hope that Rickon passes out soon and Sansa would stop her dramatic." Robb said. They all knew that Robb and Sansa were close, so hearing Robb say those things about Sansa took Bran aback.

"To bad no one thought to slip something into their food to make them sleep the whole way." Theon said. He always had crazy ideas about how things should be done.

Bran shot him a look that was annoyed and not amused.

"What. I was only joking." Theon said. He was always joking, Bran would not miss this about his older brother. He would miss him, but not his wit.

"I almost did. But they weren't eating anything at breakfast." Arya said from the corner of the car. Her four brothers looked at her. She shrugged and settled into the corner of the car, trying to get into a more comfortable position. "We could have left sooner. There wouldn't have been drama and I wouldn't have a headache."

"Arya you can't be serious?" Jon asked. Bran thought she was serious, but the others had to ask to make sure.

"Yeah I was, and why not? They do it to dogs before they fly. It is only a little sleeping pill. But like I said I didn't do it. They didn't eat a bite. I even had Mrs. Clark in on the idea." She huffed and hunkered down further into her seat.

The four brothers widened their eyes. Their cook/house keeper and Arya plotting together was something new. Mrs. Clark had always had a soft spot for Sansa for her kind nature and Rickon for being the baby. Bran could not believe that she had agreed to drug her two favorite children. Bran knew, but the rest of the Stark kids didn't, was that their cook/house keeper couldn't have children. So he knew that she loved them more then anything and would do nothing to hurt them.

Bran rolled his eyes and took out his Kindle to read on the way to the airport. They were there by the time Bran had finished the book he was reading about the reign of the Roman emperor Caligula. He had put the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty onto his Kindle last night. True to his word he would read up on all the Roman Emperors to help his brothers. His mother's words for her house were Family, Duty, Honor, and Bran liked the Family part the best. He had read about Augustus and Tiberius that morning during breakfast and before they were ready to leave the house. He had two emperors to go and he hoped that they would keep him occupied for the flight but he doubted it. He wanted to read about all the Emperors of Ancient Rome for them by the end of next week. There were a lot to cover. He also had a book on the Year of the Four Emperors and the Flavian dynasty as a backup for the flight. He thought that he would reach them and that he would know enough to translate it into something that would help his brothers out.

God they were going to miss him when he was no longer there to help them with their homework. He knew that he could graduate in the next year, he was smart enough he could be in collage next year. But that was all by Winterfell High standards. Bran was eager to go get to Kings Landing to see what they could throw at him.

Sansa

Saying good bye to her home had been more traumatic then she had expected. She had cried and felt self-pity as they prepared to leave. She felt humiliated that her father had to carry her out of the house while she cried and pleaded not to be forced to leave. She had been all ready to put up a fight with Ned once he took her out of the front door. Then she saw Rickons reaction. And that really broke her heart and tore her up when she saw her brother's complete breakdown. She had tried to comfort him, be the big strong sister that he needed but was unable to help him. She was so wrapped up in herself pity and sadness that she knew that she couldn't help her baby brother. They both crumpled onto the drive and cried together until their mother collected her and put her in the car. Ned came and gathered Rickon in his arms and brought them to the car. She wondered why it took them so long to do something for them, to collect their children, but that was a thought for another time.

She sat in the town car weeping on her mother's shoulder. Her father finally entered the car with her youngest sibling. The other Starks entered the second car. They drove off to the airport. Rickon finally fell asleep from crying. Her parents talked to Rodrik about how to manage the house and the people that lived on the land. Sansa didn't want to hear it so she put her iPod on and tried to block them out. She played Sia's song Breath Me over and over again on repeat. She just wanted to do the teenage girl thing and sulk in her miser, this song fit her mood perfectly, it all said everything she was feeing and wanted to say, but she couldn't. So she put on the most depressing song that she had and let the silent tears fall as she looked out the window and said her good byes to the land that she loved. The home she knew.

She would never tell her family, but she would truly miss the lush green valleys. She would miss the free flowing rivers and the old majestic trees. She would miss the mountains with their snow covered peaks and weather of rolling clouds that never seemed to dissipate And. the ever damp feeling that never completely went away. She loved the land of her family, but never told the others of her love. She was the clean girl that her mother wanted. But she loved the land and she would miss it more then she knew as she drove thorough it. But she would never tell her family that. It was her secret, the one she would always hide in her heart. Her love of her ancestral land. She knew that the others showed their love for Winterfell on their sleeves, but she was a lady and they did not do that. They kept their love a secret.

They arrived at the airport and got out of the cars. Her father carried the still sleeping Rickon onto the plane and then reappeared to say his good byes to his oldest children. Sansa got out and went to her oldest brother and hugged him tightly. He was the sibling that she was closest to. It was probably because they were of the same temperament.

"This is good bye little sister" He held her close to him. Sansa didn't know when they would see each other again, but she hoped it was soon. "You are the oldest now. Watch out for the others. Watch out for yourself." Robb kissed the top of her head and then was moving on to say farewell to their mother.

Theon was next. Even though he had been in the family as an official member of the family since she was five, she still felt awkward around him. They said a very formal goodbye with a fast hug and a hand shake.

Last was her brother Jon. They had a fast but tender parting.

"Watch out there in the big city sis. I hear that it is hell out there." Jon held her to him.

"I will Jon. And I know that if there is ever a problem to call you older brothers. You have always taken care of me." She gave him a tear filled smile. He whipped one of her fallen tears away.

"Yeah we are always here for you sis. But you have to watch out for the others. I know, Robb already told you this, but you are the oldest now. Take care of the younger ones." They hugged again. This was the most loving they had ever been. She wanted to make her escape now, before she broke down completely again and lost her will to leave her land.

So she left her brother and was on the plane waiting for it to take off. She put her iPod back on and closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She played the music from the ballet of Swan Lake. She didn't think that music with words would get her up in the air. So it was classical music all the way. The flight shouldn't be to long three hours at most. She could survive that.

Arya

The ride to the airport was short and slightly damp. It was typical to Northern whether so she was used to it. But once she got out of the car she wished that it was sunny, not raining. They stood outside of the plane and said goodbye to the older boys. She said bye to Theon first. He mussed her hair and told she should try something different with her it, it could help her get a guy. She loved him but he could still be an ass. Robb told her to stay out of trouble and to not go looking for it.

"I don't go looking for it, it finds me." She retorted.

"Well don't give it an excuse." He advised. She felt like he knew something she didn't and it made her stomach twist.

Jon was next. They were the most alike. The closest. He was her best friend, the one who knew her wishes, fears and helped her with it all. She had kept her over large sunglasses on despite the fact that it was over cast and that they were not needed. She knew that she would start to cry and didn't want anyone to see her tears.

"Good bye Little Wolf. I will miss you." He was the only one who she allowed to call her that beside her father. He enfolded her into his iron strong arms and held her tight.

"Jon you are crushing me. I can't breathe." She hissed.

"Well take care. Robb already told you a thing or two. Now I have some advice and want you to follow it. If anyone gives you a hard time use that left hook of yours. And be yourself. You will need to let people see the real you. Don't hide in the shadows anymore." He hugged her to him. She held on tight and breathed in his wild sent of the true North. She would miss that smell the most.

"I will try to. Really I will." She let out a small sob and buried her face in his shirt.

"I have to go say bye to father now. Be a good Little Wolf and get on the plane." He gave her a little shove to enter the plane. She stumbles and went to the seat at the very back of the plane. She didn't want to see anyone; she just wanted to be alone in the shadows for one last time before she came out of hiding.

Bran

He had a very guy like goodbyes with his brothers. Handshakes and pats on the back after a quick hug. There was the normal brotherly words of advice on girls, fun and what not.

Remember," Theon said, "girls don't like feeling that they are stupid, so try and hide that HUGE brain of yours, but don't hide that huge cock."

Bran pushed him away and said the only thing that would make that Statement alight.

"Fuck off Theon. Just because my junk is bigger than yours doesn't mean that you have to shout it out to the world." Bran fought not to blush as he hugged his adopted brother.

"Bigger then mine? You wish shrimp."

The goodbyes with Robb and Jon were normal enough. They both said to watch out for the others. He was the eldest man in the house and he had to take care of the girls, because father would be working so much. He told them both that he would watch out for the girls and that was it. He had said hos goodbyes to his home.

Bran walked onto the plane and saw Sansa pretending to sleep and Arya looking out the window at her waving brothers. She looked deep in thought.

His parents entered the plane and they took off. He sat there looking out the window and the landscape change from lush, sparkly populated land to densely populated areas. He never appreciated how they had their own airfield or that they were in the last bit of wild land in the country until that moment. He read his book and saw the sun poking out from behind the clouds. Soon they would touch down in the city of their new home. The new life for the Stark children was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So they left their home. I tried to show the different temperaments of the children and show the relationships they share with each other. The story should start to get more exciting as it goes on. I hope that you like it so far and I am working on getting the next chapter up. I had thought I had edited it, but I am finding out that I didn't do as good of a job as I thought.


	3. The South

Sansa

The drive from the airport to their new house was fairly uneventful. The one thing that Sansa could say was that palm trees were strange and exotic. She couldn't get over how bright the sun was, or how everything shined. It was a different world here. On the street women wore the shortest shorts and the tiniest tops. The men were all gelled and made up. All the cars she saw were new and looked expensive. Tan people were everywhere and they were all fit. Sansa figured with all the extra heat there was here in the South people didn't need the extra layer of fluff as she called it to keep them warm. They drove through the city to the area where the houses were. They were all big and screamed money. She knew that their new house would look like that. It wouldn't have the grace and age that their home had. The new one would have flash and pizazz to fit in with all the other houses around here. It would be new, at least in comparison to the house she grew up in.

She was slightly shocked when they drove to a house completely surrounded by trees and rather far from the road. There was a sense of familiarity and comfort with the trees all around. The house wasn't like the others. This one was made of stone, at least the front was. And it looked graceful in a way that she didn't expect after viewing all the showy houses that they had passed. "Our new home." Their father said when he pulled the car to a stop in front of the door.

"Let's go get settled in. We have a busy weekend ahead of us before school start on Monday." Catelyn said to her children. The Starks entered their new house.

The entry way was full of light and opened. The stairs leading to the second story was on the right as was what appeared to be a study. On the left there was a large room that looked like a sitting room.

"Mommy this house smells funny." Little Rickon complained loudly as he entered the house.

"That is because it has just been painted and had new carpeting put in." Bran explained to his younger brother.

"I don't like it. I want to go home." Rickon wailed. "I want to go back to Winterfell." Rickon being the baby of the family was used to getting his way with everything. He had not wanted to move. This was the first time that his tantrums and fits had not gotten him the results that he wanted.

"Do you want to see your room sweeting?" Catelyn asked in her brightest voice.

"I have my own room here?" Rickon's voice changed from angry to intrigued.

"Yes dear. This way."

Sansa watched her mother lead her brother up the stairs. She just stood there looking around. She felt like a guest, not like a person who lived in the house.

"I guess we should look around." Sansa finally said, unable to deal with the silence between the remaining members of her family.

"Yes, that is a good idea for you kids. I have to make some calls. I will be in the study if you need me." Ned said.

"Let's go find our rooms." Sansa said to Bran and Arya.

Eddard

Ned stood in the doorway of his study and watched his children trudge up the stairs to look for their new rooms. There was a slump in all of them. He knew that Bran and Arya said they were okay with the move, but there was still a deep sadness in them about it. He didn't blame them. He felt the same way. Sansa and Rickon had taken it harder then he had imagined they would. He knew that they were scared more then anything. Ned knew that they would be alright soon. Rickon was young and would bounce back fast as soon as he met some friends. Sansa was a different matter. She had been on the top at Winterfell High. It wouldn't be the same here. She only had one year left in school. Making friends would be tougher for her. He would have to do something nice to make her feel better. Maybe a shopping spree with his credit card or a new car would be enough to make her forget her sadness. She had her license. And she had been bugging him for a new car for months now instead of having to drive her mother's "old car".

He went and sat down behind his desk and pulled out his cell phone. He scrolled in his contact list until he found the name that he was looking for. He put the phone down on his desk and starred at the phone not wanting to make the call that he had to. Robert Baratheon was his oldest friend, but he was a far cry from the young man that he had once known. He had become a bitter drunk who didn't give a damn about anything. Not his company or his family. It was something that Ned could not abide. When a man had as much power that he and Robert had they had responsibilities and duty and honor to up hold. He rubbed his temples and prepared for the call with the man that was once closer to him then a brother. "Hello?" Robert bellowed into the phone. He was already drunk at 1:30 in the afternoon.

"Robert its Ned. I just wanted to let you know that we have arrived in town."

"NED! I am so glad that you called. I have decided to throw you a welcome to town party. Damn Cersie has been planning it. Everything is ready for you and your family."

"Robert," Ned begin, "we only just arrived. I do not think that we are up for a party."

"Now you lessen here Ned. I am throwing you a party and you will be there. You have to come. You are the guest of honor. There is still going to be a party with or without you, but you will just look like an ass if you don't come."

Ned knew that he was backed into a corner. If he didn't go things could become very bad. He would be alienating the very person he was here to help. He still remembered the night when Robert had called him two months ago. Robert was sobbing and sober for once.

"Ned I need your help. My company is going under. I want to purposes a business venture for you and me. It would help me recoup my money and you could make millions. I have had my people crunch the numbers and I know it would work." Robert sounded so desperate and the despair in his voice had pulled at Ned's heart. He could not allow all the good hard working people who are Roberts's employees to suffer because their boss was irresponsible. He had to help them. He had to save them.

"Have your people send over the proposal and I will look it over." That was all Ned said that night.

That one sentence had altered his life and the lives of his family.

"Alright Robert we will be there. What time?" Ned asked with resignation.

"Seven. And do not be late." Robert slurred.

Ned sat behind his desk for a moment then got up in search of his wife to tell her the new development.

Arya

She found her new room with no problem. She knew it was hers right away, not only because her stuff was in it but because of where it was at. It was in the farthest corner of the house overlooking a patch of trees. It was a very nice view. Most of her stuff was still in boxes, but her bedding was unpacked and most of her clothes were as well. The deep purple bed spread that she had picked out was one of her new favorite things in the world. Her mother wanted her to pick something feminine and soft. But there wasn't much in her personality that was soft. She picked her purple, silver and black bed room set instead of the yellow and orange one that her mother and sister had wanted her to get. Her walls were painted a light lilac color that was a combination of the purple and silver. Her furniture was a dark wood almost black. Her iPod dock was on the desk overlooking the view and her dresser was in the closet. There were not many personal effects cluttering her room.

She had some paintings on the walls that she had done at an art camp that her parents had made her go to the summer before the move. She had been very pleased with the paintings and had enrolled in art classed at Winterfell, and had at Kings Landing as well. One of her best painting that she had made was of a car motor that her brother Jon was working on to restore. She loved cars. They were something that she could really understand and she loved to tinker with. She had talked to her father about taking some auto classes in Kings Landing. It had been something that she had wanted to do at Winterfell but her mother had shot that idea down faster then Arya could blink. Catelyn was not happy when she found Arya hanging around her brothers when she was 10 when they tinkered with their cars. She had yelled and lectured all four children about how unsafe it was for a little girl to be around an automobile and all the paraphilia involved with them. But Ned had agreed to let her take the classes at her new school. She was over the moon because it meant that she didn't have to take the home economic classes or the interior design classes, or sewing or some other stupid homey classes that her mother had made her take in the past. She was sprawled on the bed when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She called.

"We have to go shopping." Catelyn said when she entered Arys room. "Robert has organized a welcome to town party for us. You, Sansa and I need something suitable to wear. And we will need to have a hair appointment as well."

"Come on mother. Shopping? We just got to town. Do we have to?" Arya wined while she flung a pillow over her head.

"Yes dear. All our nicer things that we could have worn tonight are still in transit and will not be here until Sunday. Most girls love shopping. It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon in a now place. There are new places to explore and people to meet. Try not to be a stick in the mud." Catelyn pulled off the pillow off her daughters face.

Catelyn smiled at her daughter in a way that she knew would have Arya saying yes to her just to get away from her.

"Alright mother. I will come shopping and let some yahoo do my hair." Arya grumbled.

"Thank you sweet heart. Get your shoes on and let's get going. The sooner we get this over with the sooner we can, you get the idea."

"You don't want to do this either do you mother?" Arya asked with a smile.

"No I don't. But it is our duty as Starks to attend this party. After all it is for us."

Bran

His room was perfect. It was better then his room back home. He had a feeling that it had once been a study or office. There were built in book shelves, with a window seat and quite a bit of wood. He knew that it was cherry and that the walls that were not bookshelves were painted in a muted moss color. The windows over looked the front of the house and the road.

He watched as his mother and sisters got into the car and embarked on their shopping trip. Sansa was bubbly and happy now. There was nothing more exciting to her then shopping. Arya looked like she was formulating a plan. He knew that she was up to something. Their mother looked stern. There were worry lines written all over her face.

He had Bach playing very low in the background as he shelved his books. At Winterfell he had to have his books in a separate room but he had left half of them in Winterfell. He loved that he was able to have them in his room here. The fire place that was once built into the wall had been converted into a desk. He had already set up his computer and had it whizzing looking up information on their new home and the people that he was likely to meet at this party tonight.

Bran liked to know everything about a situation before he entered into it. He downloaded the public profile on Robert Baratheon. He was born 43 years ago in Storms End on the east coast. His family had money and he invested wisely after he inherited everything. He had to support his two younger brothers. He was 18 when his parents died and he had to "raise" His younger brothers. His brother Stannis was 11 and Renly was 2. He went to college and took over the family corporation. He moved to Kings Landing to start a new headquarter for Baratheon Inc. Business was on an all-time high and things for him couldn't be going better. When he was 24 he married Cersie Lannister. She was the only daughter of his first major investor, they had a fairy tale relationship by all accounts and they fell in love at their first meeting. She was a rather young bride at 20 when they were wed. They have been married for the last 19 years and are rumored to be still madly in love. Two years later the couple had a child, Joffery age 17. By all accounts he is a good student. Quarterback for his football team and going to a very nice college next year. Their daughter Myrcella came next. She is 15. She is an above average student and in most clubs and activities that the school has to offer. She is a dancer and is not into other sports. Their youngest child, another boy Tommen is 9. He is a sweet boy who is not like his brother Joffery in any respects.

Bran doubted that much of what he read was true. But since he was working with a small time window to dig around for dirt this was the best he could do. He had a theory that the Barathons didn't really love each other. His first clue was that she kept her name. Bran also knew that business was not going to well for Robert. If it was really doing well the Starks would still be in Winterfell. He was not sure about the info on the Baratheon children. He suspected it could be true. He would just have to wait and see.

He hoped that Arya could be friends with the daughter. He had finished putting one box of books away. There was a chime on his computer. It was an instant message from Robb.

Robb _Hey there brother. Saw that you were online. Wanted to check in and see how your new room is treating you._

Bran _I very much enjoy my room. Are you procrastination from doing your homework?_

Robb _You know me. I always put things off until I have to do them. How are Rickon and the girls?_

Bran _Rickon is playing in his new room. Mom took the girls shopping and to get their hair done. Baratheon has surprised us with a party tonight in fathers honor._

Robb _That is not good. I bet Sansa is happy to be shopping. Well I have to go study. TTYL_

Robb signed off and Bran went back to unpacking.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be the last update until I finish with my editing and doing a tad bit of re-writing as I look it all over. So I should have something for you in about five days or so. Now there should be a post once a week. Unless you like this story, then I can post another one for you guys. Hope this is story is something that you enjoy.


	4. Shopping and a Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Stark women go shopping and the family enter the world of life in the South.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope those of you have read have liked what is here. There are going to be some new POV's and some new characters coming up. I hope that you like it. I would love to hear from you all. Like I mentioned before I have this story on another site, but in the editing process of getting it up on this site I am opened to some suggestions from you readers and will try to incorporate them, if they don't mess with my story line to much. Okay that is all. Love to you out there who have read me. Let me know what you think!

 

Arya

She had never been more uncomfortable in her entire life. Sitting in the chair at the hair dressers at the salon was the strangest place she had ever been. She had never been to a place that she had her hair done. She had always just had one of the kitchen girls trim her hair. It is either in a braid or a messy bun. Her dark brown hair was almost to the small of her back. The owner of the establishment had fawned over her until he saw the state of her ends. Then he had walked away with his hands in that air.

 She looked over to Sansa and saw the pure look of bliss on her sister's face. She had a face mask of some kind on, and one of the girls was giving her a manicure while her hair was in curlers. She was chatting away with the nail girl. It was a very interesting sight. Her sister was so beautiful that she didn't need all the extra stuff that she put on herself. They had already been shopping. They had been out since two and it was nearing five. Her mother had let her pick out her own dress for the evening, on the condition that it was in fact a dress. She picked put out a knee length strapless dress with a fitted bodice and a slightly puffed skirt. It was a deep purple and off set her skin and eyes. Her mother was not a fan of the color, but she said that the style and the cut flattered her very nicely. She was forced to get 3 inch heels at the least her mother had said. She chose a pair of strappy silver sandals. Sansa was very surprised that she found something that matched the dress.

"Well young lady we have to decide what to do with your hair. Now that it has been washed and conditioned properly." The hair dresser said. She was young, 6 months out of school but full of promise the proprietor of the salon assured her mother. "Do you want a cut as well as a style?"

Arya had been flipping through hair style magazines for the last 45 minutes. She had decided to get it cut. She knew that it was not what her mother had said, but she figured that her mother would be pleased that she did something with it.

"Yes I would. I was thinking of layers and some sort of sweeping bangs. Maybe sweeping over my left eye?" Arya asked her voice uncertain.

"Yes I can see how something like that would look good on you. I would like that. And for the evening I will give it some sweep and volume. Yes, yes, that is what I shall do."

Her mother had made her get her nails done earlier in the appointment. They had matched the polish to the dress. Her toes were done as well. She marveled that she had done something so girly. This would certainly draw attention to her.

"How long before my mother and sister will be done being pampered?"

"Oh an hour at least. They are going to be getting their makeup done as well. Would you like to have yours done too? I could do it for you after I am done with your hair. This will not take long." The styles said and she combed and snipped.

"Yes I would like that. I would like that a lot. And could you suggest what make up would look good on me and how to apply it?"

"I most certainly do that my dear. I can also tell you how to do your hair and how to style it." The stylist told her with a soft smile on her face as the worked on her bangs.

Arya sat back in the chair and smiled. She had told her brothers she would try something different and not hide. She was sure going to do that here, with a bang. 

Sansa

Shopping was therapeutic. There was something about trying on clothes that made her think she was another person. She secretly felt like she was a spy when she went shopping. Trying on different outfits to use to infiltrate the under world of crime was what she felt like when she shopped. That evening she had picked out a dress that was a deep scarlet one shoulder thing with small flowers along the base of the ribcage. It flows out to form the skirt. Unlike Aryas dress the material is flowlly and moving. Her sisters was tight and shows off the curves of her body. Sansa wanted to hide hers. Her chest was not overly large but she wasn't by any means small. She let her mother help her choose her dress. To return the favor Caelyn allowed Sansa to help select hers. It was a deep blue and her hair looked splendid with it. It was not as short as her dress or her sisters; it went a little past her knee and was pelted. There was a matching jacket to go along with it as well. Catelyn made Arya get a jacket and she picked a silver one. Sansa was amazed that Arya picked it out on her own. The jewels on the small shrug matched the shoes and they matched the small jewel detail on the bodice.

Sansa had consulted with her mother about her hair and make up for the evening. After her mother had approved of what she had chosen she allowed the stylists to pamper her. She had her hair set, a mask applied and her nails done. She felt one hundred times better then when she had gotten off the plane that morning. The shops that they had gone to had been the best she had ever been in. She had loved shopping in Seattle but the stores in L.A. were much better. She was starting to think that it wouldn't be to bad living in the South. If the shops and salons were like this she could get used to it. She looked over at Arya. She was getting her hair cut. It was about time. And she was getting a style as well. Thank the gods. She had felt some trepidation upon entering a new school with her drab sister. Then she noticed that the stylist was putting foil in her hair. The kind that they used for coloring. She was sure that their mother was going to be very angry when she was that Arya had put a color in her hair without her permission. It would be like the time Arya had pierced her ears with a sowing needle.

Sansa smiled as they washed her face and applied her expert make up. She looked at her phone. There were over a dozen texts from her friends back home. They all demanded to know what the new place was like, what she was doing. Had she met any movie stars yet? Sansa sighed. She decided on a generic mass text.

_The house is actually cool. There is a pool. We went shopping and I am at a salon getting worked over. There is a party tonight for the family at the Baratheons house. I will let you all know how it goes._

Within moments she had six replies. They all pretty much said the same thing.

_Send us pictures. Of everything._

She texted back via another mass text that she would post some pictures on Facebook. That appeased her friends.

Her time in the beauty chair was drawing to an end. She saw that her mother was almost finished as well. Arya seemed to be concentrating on what her stylist was telling her, taking it all in. Sansa couldn't see the color that she knew was hidden in her sisters' hair. But she was amazed at how she looked. She was not the same girl that had walked in two hours ago. She was a groomed lady. Except for her clothing. All the Stark ladies were not in their best.

"I think we will have to change here dears." Catelyn said as she looked at her watch. "We won't have enough time to do it at home."

"All right mother." Sansa said and went to get her garment bag from where she had it hanging. She was very lucky that she had shaved her legs that morning. She went into a curtained cubicle that her stylist directed. She heard Arya follow into one close by.

"Shit" Her sister was not pleased about something.

"What is it Arya?" Sansa asked.

"I don't have the right bra for this dress on." Arya grumbled. Sansa smiled to herself. Arya had on one of the convertible bras, so she had nothing to worry about. "Let me see." She said.

"Trust me it has straps." Arya snapped from behind her partition.

"Let me see anyway." Sansa snapped back. She came out from her cubby and went into her sisters. As she suspected her sisters' bra was like hers and you could modify the straps. "There now, all better. Wow Arya you look really good. Beautiful even."

"You don't have to sound so shocked. I always knew that I cleaned up nice. I just never wanted to." Arya said.

"What made you change your mind?" Sansa asked.

"Jon told me that I had to let people see the me that I am on the inside. And Theon made some crack about my hair being the reason why I never had a date, so I decided to try something new." Arya mumbles as she looked at her feet. "Would you mind zipping me up please?"

Sansa was amazed that her sister had shared with her and was now asking for help. She jumped at the opportunity. Despite their close age they were not close and she had always wanted that with her sister. Doing this small thing for her was something that truly lifted her heart. Once they were both fully dressed they left the dressing area and went in search of their mother. She was standing at the reception area in her dress talking into the phone. They knew it was their father she was talking to. Her mother always had a small slight smile on her face whenever they talked. Her parents were truly in love. When she heard her girls she got off the phone and turned to them.

"Oh girls you look lovely. Sansa your hair looks so good with that dress. And Arya what did you do to your hair! It isn't bad. I am very happy that you finally let someone besides the kitchen maid trim it." Catelyn smiled and just looked at her daughters. "So we are to go to the new house. There we will get our jewelry on and collect your brothers and father. There is apparently a limo coming to collect us."

"Alright. Let's get this show on the road." Sansa said, looping her arm with her sisters and followed her mother out the door into the warm fall evening.

Bran

The Stark men were lucky that all they needed was slacks, button up shits and a jacket. Ned wore a tie and had one for Bran as well. Rickon went without the tie. They had their clothes with them. And unlike the female Starks they didn't need to get their hair done or shop. Bran helped his brother dress. He received a text from Sansa asking if he could go into her and Aryas rooms and get some earrings and two necklaces for them? Oh and two clutches from har room as well?

He trudged into their rooms and located their jewelry boxes. Arya had less of a selection. He picked a black lace choker with a deep purple crystal in it. The earrings were small silver hoops that had small diamonds on them. Jon got them for her on her last birthday. Sansa's jewelry took a little longer to pick. He picked a pair of gold earrings that dangled with a diamond at the end and a matching necklace and just for the hell of it he nicked some gold bracelets as well. He pulled out the two clutches he had been instructed to get for the girls and went to his parents' room.

"Hello father. Almost ready?"

"I can't find the earrings that your mother wants. She said to get her the sapphire ones. I don't see them."

"Let me look father. I am sure that Rickon is getting dirty without someone watching him." Bran said to his father.

"You are right son. You are a life saver." Ned left the room. Bran rifled in his mother's jewels. Her sapphire earrings were with her necklace in one box at the bottom of the case. There was also a brooch that he had seen that he felt would be appropriate. It was of a wolf with a blue stone as the eye. He grabbed it and left his parents room.

The limo was already waiting for them. Ned had Rickon by the hand. The SUV that his mother and sisters were in pulled up as he had gotten to the car. They all jumped out and hurried over to the limo.

"Thank the gods you are already dressed." Ned said in greeting as he gave Catelyn a fast kiss. "Girls you look so good. Arya is there something different with your hair?" Bran looked at his sister and didn't recognize her.

"There will be enough time to gawk at the girls in the car. Let's go. Ned did you get the jewelry that I asked for?" Catelyn asked as the ushered her family into the limo.

"Bran did. As well as the girls. And the handbags to boot." Ned chuckled as he helped his wife and daughters into the limo.

Once inside Bran handed out what he had selected to the ladies. His sisters thanked him over and over again. His mother said thank you and kissed him on the cheek. Ned noticed the wolf brooch and smiled as he pinned it onto Catelyn. They arrived at the Baratheon estate. It was a large house, as large as Winterfell. The property was large as well. There were lights everywhere. The Starks piled out of the limo as a man came to greet them.

"Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Stark, children. This way to the party."

Myrcella

Myrcella Baratheon stood in front of the full length mirror in her bedroom putting the finishing touches on her outfit. She was in a pale pink dress with thick straps and a boxy neck. Her hair was pulled up and there were selected curls escaping from her up do. The hair dresser had placed small roses in her hair that matched her dress. She was not wearing heels but ballet flats. She was tall for a girl and did not want to tower over her older brother. He was a real shit when she did that to him. So she decided to not give him an excuse. Her uncle Jamie knocked on the door and let himself into her room.

"My gods you look so beautiful Myrcella. You look better then your mother."

"Thank you Uncle Jamie. I know that I could never look better then mother." She brightened and blushed at the compliment anyway. "I have something for you to wear tonight. It was your grandmothers and I feel it fitting that you should wear it." Jamie pulled out a jewelry box from his jacket pocket. He opened it and took out a slender silver chocker with pink gemstones fixed along it cut into roses.

"Oh Uncle Jamie it is gorgeous!" Myrcella breathed.

"It is platinum and pink sapphires." He said as he fastened it around her neck. She looked at her reflection one last time. The necklace was the perfect touch to finish the outfit. "I had best go find the others. The party is set to start soon." Jamie said.

"I will come with you uncle." They left her room and Tommen came barreling around the corner into them. "Tommen slow down." Myrcella exclaimed, thankful that she was not in heels after all.

"Mother and father are fighting and I wanted to find you and Uncle Jamie. One of the servants said he was with you." Tommen said, bent double gasping for breath.

"Well then by all means Tommy lead the way to them. And let's walk not run." Jamie said.

The three walked down the long halls of the Red Keep. It was the largest house in the area and it was easy to get lost. Myrcella had lived here her whole life and still took the wrong turn every now and again. They arrived at the entry way of the house and saw Robert and Cerise deep in an argument. Joffery stood leaning up against a wall and looked board. The yelling bounced off the walls and was magnified by the round room.

"Robert this is not what we had talked about. There were supposed to be fifty people coming. Now you tell me there is 150. There is no way I can make this work." Cersie yelled.

"Oh pipe down woman. I already have people on the problem. The tent is large enough to hold them all. And we have enough booze. The caterers will make it work." Robert bellowed back.

"This is not the point. It was supposed to be a small welcome party for the Starks. Not an exhibition of Baratheon money!" Cersie yelled.

"Mother, as father said things are being managed. Why don't you go with Uncle Jamie and calm down some." Myrcella said as she reached her parents side. "And father why don't you go into your study for a small glass of something to calm your nerves?"

"What a good idea my Myrcella. You always know how to fix a situation." Robert said, patting her on the shoulder with enough force to make her knees buckle. Robert strode into the rear of the entry way to his study.

"Mother are you alright?" Myrcella asked looking at her mother. Even with her barely controlled anger she was still the most stunning women in the world. She was in a emerald green dress that set her eyes off. With her rage they looked as if they were on fire. Her long hair was in an elegant French twist. Leaving her face bare and her strong cheek bones at the forefront to be seen.

"Yes darling. Thank you for stopping us before it went too far. The guests will be arriving shortly. They did not need to see us in that frame of mind." Cersie said looking at her daughter. "Is that mothers pink sapphire choker?" She looked over at Jamie.

"Yes it is. I thought that it would look good on her." Jamie said. Myrcella looked into her mother's eyes. The anger was gone, replaced by tears and pride.

"It looks perfect on you darling." She kissed Myrcella's cheek and walked to Jamie. Together they left the entry way.

"And of course the baby had to go find St. Myrcella to fix everything." Joffery sneered, pushing away from the wall, at last saying something.

"One of us had to put a stop to that." Myrcella snapped.

"Why? They are so much more entertaining when they fight. And they had almost gotten to the point of calling each other names. I rather enjoy it when they do that."

"You are an ass Joffery." Myrcella said turning her back on her brother.

"What did you just call me?" Joffery demanded.

"I called you an ass. Are you deaf as well as stupid?" Myrcella shot back.

"You will be sorry for that you little bitch." Joffery advanced to his sister with his hand raised. He was ready to strike but Myrcella stood her ground. Just as he got within range of hitting her there was a knock at the door and it swung opened. The person standing in the door took in the scene within moments.

"What do we have here?" "Uncle Tyrion!" Tommen cried, hurling himself at his uncle. "Myrcella stopped mother and father from fighting. And Joffery was mocking her, then she called him a deaf ass and he called her a bitch and then you showed up."

Tyrion looked between his older niece and nephew. "An event had indeed transpired." Myrcella felt her cheeks grow hot with a blush under her uncle's scrutiny. Then he flicked his gaze over to Joffery. Myrcella's eyes followed. Her brother was still angry. That was evident from his ragged breathing and his clenched fist. "Is that true Joffery?" Tyrion asked.

Joffery scoffed at his uncle and walked away, probably in search of a drink. In that regard he was indeed his father's son.

"You know you shouldn't taunt him Myrcella." Tyrion said wearily as he walked deeper into the house.

"I know. But I did not say anything that was untrue." Myrcella defended herself.

"Be that as it may, I advise that you watch yourself. He will not let this slight go unpunished."

"I won't uncle."

Sandor

He didn't know what he was doing. Just because Joffery snapped his fingers he was off to some stupid party to introduce some wealthy friends of his parents from the stupid North to society in the South. He wouldn't be going to go but Joffery said that there would be free booze and food there. What Joffery really wanted him for was as a whipping boy and intimidator. Sandor hated doing it, but he figured that if he didn't do it the little worm would find someone else to fill on those spots in his life that Sandor filled. He drove to the Red Keep with his music blaring and he didn't give a fuck who heard him. He had been told to arrive early and so there he was fifteen minutes before the party was going to start. He knew that to Joffery this would not be early enough. But to hell with the worm. He could squirm for all he cared.

He pulled his car into the drive. There was a limo in the drive way already. He switched the lights off on his car. He didn't want them to notice him. He saw a family disembarking the limo. The last person to get out of the car was the most stunning girl he had ever seen. He knew that she must be one of the Starks from the North. He sat in his car and watched this stunning creature walk with her family into the Red Keep.

His phone started to ring. It was the sound of a donkey braying. He knew it was Joffery, the tone of an ass for the biggest ass he knew, but he ignored it. He watched as the captivation vision walked to the house. He got one last look at her and reached for his phone.

"Where the hell are you Dog?" Joffery barked before Sandor even said hello.

"I just pulled up to the house. Traffic was a real bitch." He said into his phone with a sour look on his face.

"Well get the hell in here." Joffery snapped then hung up the phone on him.

Sandor pulled up to the house. A valet was there to take his car and Sandor went to the front door. He took a deep breath before knocking on the door. He knew that he was going to see that vixen in the red dress.

Gendry

"This tent is a god danm sauna." Gendry grumbles as he and his band set up.

"It's not that hot. You are just in a foul mood because you had to bail out on a date. But this was a paying gig Gendry. So quit your bitching and set up faster." Beric barked at Gendry.

"He is right Gendry. Tonight should be the easiest 625 bucks that we have ever made. I think that I will make Myrcella a pie for suggesting our band to play tonight." Hot Pie said, more to himself then anyone in the room. He continued to set up his drum set.

Gendry went back to setting up the wires that controlled the mikes and the guitar and the base. He was pissed that he had to cancel on the date that he had been set up on by Thoros. It was Thoras's cousin and she was supposed to be very good looking. But 125 bucks was a good deal for four hours of music. He was just finishing up when he heard people approaching.

He looked up and saw the ass Joffery and a stunning girl that he had never seen before enter the tent. Next came Sandor Clegane, silent and hulking. Myrcella came next. She waved and smiled at him. He waved back. A boy entered next asking the person behind him a question. Then he turned to Myrcella.

The last person to enter was the one that took his breath away. She had curves in all the right places. Long legs and the dress that she was in made her glow. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Then he realized that she was looking right at him. He dropped the mike that he was holding giving him a reason to look away.

"Wow. They really know how to make them up North." Aegon said from next to Gendry.

Gendry cleared his throat. It had become suddenly dry.

"What? Um yes they do." He busied himself looking at what he was doing.

He had finished setting up so he went over to his guitar and pretended to clean it. He watched the girl in the purple dress. She smiled and laughed and talked to Myrcella and the boy. He assumed he was her brother. Then the three of them were on their way over to the stage.

Beric stood up from untangling wires and approached the front of the stage.

"Myrcella you look great. I have never seen someone look so good." Beric flirted. Myrcella's cheeks pinked up nicely.

"Thank you Beric. I wanted to introduce Bran and Arya Stark to you all. They will be starting school with us on Monday." Myrcella said.

"Hi. I am Beric. The singer and song writer for the band here. And over there with the drumsticks in his hands is Hot Pie. The guy with the base is Aegon. The guy with the key board is Thoros. He also plays guitar sometimes too. And our lead guitarist is Gendry. He is over there sitting on the speaker." Beric introduced his band.

"Brandon Stark. But I go by Bran." Bran stuck his hand out. Beric shook his hand.

"Arya" was all the girl in the purple dress said. Her voice was heaven to Gendrys ears. It was raspy and sweet at the same time. It reminded him of a wolf pack howling together. He realized that she was staring into his eyes as she said her name.

With that one word and that one look Gendry "The Bull" Waters lost his heart to Arya Stark.


	5. Welcome to the South

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here is the party, from the beginning from the Starks entrance to the end.

Sansa

When she had been at Winterfell she had never felt uncomfortable talking to people. It was partly because she had known them since she was a child and the second was that they were like she was, a Northerner. The followed the same logic she did. They knew the same places she knew. They were familiar and known. When she entered the Red Keep she finally realized she would have to meet new people. Sansas palms grew moist and a faint flush started to creep up her cheeks. She slowed her steps and was the last one to approach the door to the large imposing house. She stood there on the steps breathing evenly and collecting her now fanatic and scattered thoughts.

Her solitude was broken by the rumble of a car. She watched as a valet scurried from his hiding place and went to the door of the car. A tall figure was unfolding from the small confines of the vehicle. Sansa didn't want to be caught all alone, there by being forced to meet someone on her own. If she was with her family there would be safety in numbers. She had just slipped into the house and then she heard a knock on the door. The door man looked at her. She just stood there, her breath rate speeding up. There was another knock at the door, this time a little louder. Still she stood there. The doorman cleared his throat and she looked over at him. She took a slight step the side to allow the man to do his job.

"About time." A harsh voice grunted.

Sansa shrank even more to the side of the small area. The knocker entered the house. His arm brushed her arm and he stopped moving. He looked down at her. She held her breath. Her face was mask of shock for being in the very situation that she wanted to avoid at all costs. A look of surprise crossed the newcomer's face, which he quickly schooled into a mask of cool indifference and boredom. He didn't move and neither did she. They looked at each other.

"Sansa! What the hell are you doing at the door?" Her sister's voice broke the trance Sansa and the stranger seemed to be trapped in.

Sansa was thankful that her little sister had no tact at this one moment in her life.

"Um, I was…" Sansa stuttered.

"She was introducing herself to me." The hulking figure beside her said, coming to her rescue. "Sandor Clegane." He turned to look her fully in the face for the first time.

Sansa's eyes grew a little large and the look of shock on her face returned. One half of his face appeared to be scared. The perfection of his non-scared side stood out in perfect contrast with the reined side. She finally remembered her manners. She felt like she had been looking at his face longer then was polite, when in actuality it had been less then a second, and stuck her hand out to shake his.

"Sansa Stark." Sansa said in a soft voice.

She released his hand. For someone with his size and obvious strength he had been very gentile with her hand.

"Arya, her sister. Do we want to move this little meet and greet we have going on here away from the door? That poor man there looks like he wants to shut the door." Arya said.

Sandor and Sansa nodded their heads and both stepped away from the door at the same time. Their arms were still slightly touching. There was a tingle in Sansas arm where they were connected. Arya had already turned away from them and went to the small group in the center of the room. They followed, a bit more slowly.

"I'm sorry for at the door." Sansa said, looking at the assembled group, noting the new faces and her palms grew sweaty yet again.

"What are you blabbing about?" Sandor asked looking down at the top of her head.

"I was standing in front of it. I didn't want to move away and have to meet any new people." Sansa was shocked at herself for having told this stranger that.

He chuckled and asked "What were you planning on doing? Staying in front of the door all night so no one could get in?"

Sansa smiled up at him. "Something like that."

They walked the rest of the way to the awaiting group of her family and the Baratheon and Lannisters.

"There you are Sansa. And who is the young man that you seem to have found?" Her father asked.

"Father this is Sandor Clegane."

Sandor shook hands with Eddard. Ned didn't react to his scars the way that her mother did, Sansa noted. There also appeared to be a slight flex in both her fathers hand and Sandors as well.

"About time you get here Hound." A slightly high pitched male voice intoned. Sandor let go of Ned's hand, and looked over to the owner of the voice. Sansas eyes followed.

The voice belonged to a taller then average youth. She assumed that this had to be Joffery Baratheon. He was in black slacks and a blood red button up shirt with a jacket on over it. He had blond hair cut short to his head. There was a nasty sneer on his face that made her slightly uneasy. She unconsciously moved slightly closer to Sandor. There was just something in the eyes of Joffery that was more off putting to her then the scars on Sandors face. Even though Joffery was good looking he seemed to be trying too hard to hide who he was, and it escaped out of his eyes.

"Sansa you missed the introductions to the Baratheons." Catelyn was saying to Sansa.

She tore her gaze from the boy in front of her and looked at her mother.

"This is Robert, Cersie, Joffery, Tommen and Myrcella Baratheon." Sansa looked in turn at each person indicated. The only person of the group that seemed to have kind eyes was the girl Myrcella.

"How do you do?" Sansa said in greeting.

"What the perfect little lady." Joffery said stepping forward to offer her his hand.

"Thank you." She said shaking his hand. His grip was harsh and like a vice. She winced and was a spark of happiness light his eyes.

"Children why don't you go out to the mar key and see if it is all set up out there." Cersie said.

"I don't want to go to the big tent mother. I want to explore." Rickon said looking up at his mother.

"What a splendid idea Rickon. Why doesn't Tommen show you to the arcade?" Robert boomed. The two young boys looked at each other and both made a run for the stairs.

"This way my lady." Joffery said. He offered his arm to Sansa. She felt obligated to take it. She knew that the only way to get in with the popular crowd was with this creepy guy, so she took his arm and held her head high with a smile lighting her face.

Bran

The house was magnificent. He knew that Stark Manor was larger and older then this Red Keep, but it was still impressive. He followed his parents. Ned and Catelyn were holding hands. Rickon was clinging onto Arya. Bran was looking around with interest. The décor was superb. He looked at the stairs and there were six golden haired people and one large dark haired man. He assumed that this was the Baratheon clan. At first glance he assumed that there was an extra child present. Then he realized the person he thought was a child was Cersie Lannisters younger brother Tyrion. And the golden haired man was Jamie, Cersie twin brother. The offspring of Robert and Cersie were together to one side below their mother. Robert was in a suit and looked blotted and slovenly. The rest of the group looked pristine.

"Eddard Stark you son of a bitch." Robert bellowed. "It has been to long. Come here and give me a hug." Robert stumbled down the stairs to Ned.

Ned walked up to his friend. They embraced and gave each other the manly slaps on the back. They had a fast conversation. There were nods between the two men.

"Catelyn that dress is stunning. And Arya isn't it? You look beautiful. May I introduce my children?" Cersie said walking down the stairs. Her children followed like a line of ducks behind her. "May I introduce Joffery, Myrcella and Tommen." When each name was announced the owner of the name stepped up and nodded in hello.

"Pleased to meet you all. May I introduce Rickon, Arya, Bran and Sansa?" Catelyn said.

"You seem to be missing a daughter Catelyn. It appears that Sansa is not with her siblings." Joffery sneered.

Bran glared at the fool for the tone he used when he addressed his mother. Then he looked behind him and saw Sansa at the door. A large figure beside her.

"I will go get her mother." Arya volunteered. She went off to fetch their sister.

Tommen and Rickon were already in conversation. Giggles were heard coming from them. He heard a soft pat of feet approaching him.

"Are you interested in architecture?" A soft voice asked him as he was looking at the celling. Bran looked down from the top of the room. A striking girl was in front of him. She was in pale pink and had a small smile tugging at her lips.

"I am. I like to know how things are made and how things work. This area is room is perfectly balanced."

"Oh Bran I hope you are not lecturing Myrcella already." Aryas dry voice said from behind him.

Myrcella gave a small chuckle and Bran decided that he liked this girl. The three stood together while Sansa was caught up with who was who.

"Children why don't you go to the mar key and see if everything is ready?" Cersie said.

Bran watched as the younger boys scampered away. He watched as Sansa took Jofferys arm and walked to the door leading to the back of the house. The guy named Sandor followed close behind.

"Come on you two. There is a great band playing tonight. In fact they all go to school with us." Myrcella started after her brother and Brans sister.

"We are right behind you." Arya said.

Bran was curious to note that she sounded chipper, almost eager.

Sandor

The sniveling worm was leading the vixen around the house. His chest was puffed out like he was the reason all the wealth was there. Sandor wanted to smack that look off the creeps face. He had seen that look on Jofferys face before. He wanted something from the girl. She was probably as stupid and blind as all the others that Joffery used and abused. Once he got what he wanted he would throw her away. He heard the other three children following.

Part of him wanted to slow down and let them catch up with him and join in their conversation. He had always liked Myrcella. She was the only real one in the entire family. And the best part was that she didn't put up with her worm of a brothers shit like everyone else did. He always defended the girl. The two other Starks seemed to be alright. The boy seemed to see everything and analyze it all at the same time. He was one of those people who kept one foot in the real world and the other in one of his own creation, but he was fully aware of what was going on in both. The other Stark girl was something different. She didn't know what she wanted to be. She had a tough exterior and a quick wit that she used as both a weapon and a defense. But there was more to her, she just had to find it.

Sansa was someone he wanted to get to know. When she told him that she was afraid of new people he felt pleased that she had opened up to him. Because he was in fact a stranger. And to top it all off he was damaged. His looks could be said to leave something lacking for most people. But she looked at him. Really looked at him. His arm still tingled where they had touched. He had never felt that before. He had had his share of experience with the opposite sex. He knew all about the bodies reactions when arousal was involved. The gods knew that this girl caused that reaction in him. That dress that she was in should be illegal. There was a definitely something very ridged about him that was not so unyielding half an hour ago. There was more to her then just the response that she was causing him. He felt the need to protect her. He would do that, no matter what happened or who got in the way.

"Hound keep up." Shouted at him from over his shoulder.

"Why do you call Sandor that?" Sansa asked.

"Why don't you answer that one Dog?" Joffery said to Sandor.

"I would rather not. You made this name, not me." Sandor said. There was no infliction in his voice.

"I call him that because he is as faithful to me as a well-trained dog." Joffery laughed to himself.

Sandor saw a look of disgust cross Sansas face when she looked at Joffery. Hope surged in Sandors being. But then he watched as the sweet simpering look reappeared on Sansas face. She was a good actress. She had an agenda that she wanted to keep. She had a goal. She was calculating something in her mind. He needed to find out more about this girl if he was going to protect her. He would protect her even from herself. Watching her he knew that this was going to be harder job then he wanted.

Arya

Arya was really starting to like Myrcella Baratheon. She was spunky and smart and said what she was thinking. They really didn't have anything in common. They liked different music, movies, books. But they were starting to form a connection. Bran was watching her as she and Myrcella chatted about clothes. Myrcella offered to take her shopping and Arya found herself saying yes. She even suggested taking Sansa along too. Brans eyes almost popped out of his head and he choked on air.

"Bran are you okay?" Myrcella asked, concern coloring her voice.

"I was just trying to imagine Arya shopping. I have never seen her shop before." Bran stuttered.

"What do you mean? She had to shop. Didn't you?" Myrcella turned and looked between Arya and Bran.

"Well I kind of stole my brothers clothing. I don't really have anything that is made for girls except for underwear." Aryas face colored a bright pink.

"You have to be kidding. I can't believe that it's true." Myrcella was shocked.

"I would be surprised if she picked out this dress." Bran said. "Sansa probably picked it. And you should have seen her hair. She used to only let the kitchen maid cut it."

Myrcella was looking at Arya as if she had two heads. Arya was used to getting looks like that. She was getting ready to have the budding friendship that was developing between her and Myrcella to come to an end now.

"We will just have to remedy that. You have fifteen years of shopping to make up for and I am just the girl to help you do it." Myrcella said.

Then she threw back her head and laughed. Arya joined in with the laughter. It was Brans turn to look confused. They made it to the tent that the actual party would be taking place in. It was decorated in crimson and gold. Sansa matched the parties' décor. She saw Sansas face when she realized that she matched the parties themed coloring. There were fifteen to twenty round tables with eight to ten chairs at each. The end that Sansa, Joffery and Sandor were at had a bar. Both boys had glasses on their hands. Arya suspected that they had booze in them. On the opposite side of the bar there was a stage.Five guys were setting up musical equipment. Myrcella waved and dragged them up to the stage.

"Myrcella you look great. I have never seen someone look so good." One of the guys flirted. Myrcella's cheeks pinked up nicely.

"Thank you Beric. I wanted to introduce Bran and Arya Stark to you all. They will be starting school with us on Monday." Myrcella said.

"Hi. I am Beric. The singer and song writer for the band here. And over there with the drumsticks in his hands is Hot Pie. The guy with the base is Aegon. The guy with the key board is Thoros. He also plays guitar sometimes . And our lead guitarist is Gendry. He is over there sitting on the speaker." Beric introduced his band.

"Brandon Stark. But I go by Bran." Bran stuck his hand out. Beric shook his hand.

Arya was looking all the nice specimens of a cross section of what the male population looked like at Kings Landing. The singer was nice to look at, but there was something to soft in his eye. The one Hot Pie kid was pudgy and he had a big smile plastered all over his face. Thoros was muscular and nice, but not Aryas type. The last two, Aegon and Gendry were more then pleasant to look at. But they couldn't look more different. They had the same body type. Tall, muscular, sexy as hell. But their coloring was completely different. Aegon was light from his hair to his eyes. Gendry had dark hair and dark blue eyes.

"Arya." She finally choked out. She had her eyes locked with Gendry. Then she flicked them over to Aegon. She looked at her feet.

"So what are you going to be playing tonight?" Myrcella asked.

"A little bit of everything." Beric said. "The official set list is a surprise." He wiggled his eyebrow at the girls.

Gendry

Gendry watched as Myrcella led her guests to the opening of the tent. Other people were starting to arrive. Gendry couldn't keep his eyes off Arya. Aegon came over to him, he was absentmindedly playing his base.

"She is really something. I noticed that she took her time looking at you. But I noticed that she did the same thing with me. What do think?"

"I think we need to start playing. Let's just do the job we are paid to do." Gendry snarled.

"All right. You don't have to bite my head off. I get it, you wanted to get lucky tonight. Who knows you might. This is a party. But I am calling dibs on Arya." Aegon said as he walked away from Gendry.

The vein in Gendrys neck and forehead were bulging and pulsating. He wasn't aware that Beric had introduced the band. He was not aware that they had started to play. He was lucky his hands and body knew what he was doing. He played his parts, but he wasn't paying any attention. He had a steady chant going on in his head. It went along the lines of "I will not kill one of my best friends. I will not beat him to death with his base." He was acting irrational. He knew that he just couldn't help it. By the end of the first song the internal chant changed to "Don't look at her. Don't look at her ass, or her chest, or her legs, or her smile." His chanting alternated between the two the entire party.

Myrcella

The party was fun for a change. Usually she was stuck being around her brother's lackeys and clinger oners. She hated that. She didn't really have any true friends because as soon as her brother noticed that she was getting close to someone he would step in and taint the relationship and things would never be the same. She was happy that Joffery hadn't noticed that she and Arya and Bran were having a good time together. But she was also concerned. Because the reason for Joffery's disinterest was due to Sansa.

She wanted to warn the older Stark girl about her brother. But she was afraid that she wouldn't believe her like so many others before her. She tried to push it out of her mind. She was going to have one night of fun. One night where she was not the referee, or the peace keeper, of the saint of her family. She was going to be a 15 year old girl. Her uncle Renly and his not so secret special friend Loras showed up right before the band started to play. Loras' sister Margaery was with them as well. She made a b-line for Joffery and his group. She was in his class after all. Myrcella liked the girl and she hoped that Margery would watch out for Sansa.

"My darling niece you have never looked better in your entire life." Renly said as he kissed her cheek.

"Thank you Uncle. Have you met Bran and Arya?" She asked as she held both of Renlys hands.

"I have not had the pleasure of meeting these two Starks." He said turning to them. "I just met your parents again. I knew them when I was a child. And I have met your older brothers through college. Theon is a very interesting fellow. Very intense."

"He is. But if he was any other way he would not be the same Theon then." Arya said.

Myrcella looked from her little group to scan the gathering. There were not the 150 people her father had boasted about. Her guess was that there were around 75. She had a sneaking suspicion that he had just made up that number to get her mother angry. She looked at the stage. Her friends were playing really good. She knew that the list of songs that her mother had given them was not their normal sound but they were making strange pop songs from the 80's sound modern and cool. She noticed that both Gendry and Aegon had not stopped looking at Arya.

Myrcella was a little sad about that. She had a crush on both of them. But she was in the friend zone with the both of them. If they liked her new friend she wasn't going to hold it against her. There was a loud crashing sound from the direction of the bar.

"You blind fool!" Myrcellas heart stopped. Her brother was starting something. "You did that on purpose." Joffery shirked.

A waitress was on the ground surrounded by broken glasses form the tray that she had been caring. Joffery looked as if he was going to hit the poor girl.

"Do you know how much this jacket alone cost! More then you make in a year" He was starting to build into a rage.

Myrcella was making her way to her brother to try and quell his anger on a different tarter, her.

"It was not her fault Joffery. I saw what happened. She was bumped. I didn't see who bumped her. But it was not her fault. It was an accident." Sansa said, stepping between the girl and Joffery.

Myrcella held her breath, edging closer to her brother and Sansa Stark. Either Sansa was very brave or very stupid. When Myrcella was closer to them she noticed that Sandor had moved so that if need be he could intervene if things got uglier then they already were. To her shock, and everyone else, Joffery seemed to collect himself and his anger vanished.

"Well if you say it was an accident Sansa I believe you. No real harm done. Hound help the poor girl up from the floor. If you will excuse me Sansa I have to go change." Joffery walked out of the tent.

Myrcella was stunned that things did not escalate, that he had taken Sansas word and not retaliated on the spot anyway. That was not like her brother at all. She knew that he was up to something. She turned to follow him. The talk of the party had returned and the band started to play again. She again thanked the gods that she was in flats and that she was a dancer so she moved without a sound.

"I want that little bitch punished. I will make her pay for humiliating me that way she did. Find out who she is. I owe her some pay back." Joffery said to one of the Meryn Trant, one of his fellow football players. "I have to go change my fucking shirt. I hope that twit Sansa liked the show I put on for her." Joffery cackled with Trant up to the house.

Myrcella stood rooted to the spot. She couldn't move. She had to warn the girl, worn Sansa, she had to do something. But her body would not respond to her commands. So she just stood there. One night to be normal that is all she wanted. The gods couldn't even give her that. Two tears escaped her eyes as she stood in the dark with a party going on behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said that I would do only one chapter a week, but since it is the weekend I have had time to edit and re-work the next chapter for an update sooner then I thought. I hope you like it. I would love to hear from you, my readers. You all make me want to post here. And I have to let you know I have a lot more to post! I have 41 chapters written and 3 left to write. Give me a review if you like it so far.


	6. School Clothes and Boys

Gendry

He felt like he was hangover when he woke up on Monday. He also felt a little like a stalker. He had spent the weekend doing a little recon on the allusive Arya Stark. There was no real mystery surrounding her, but he still liked to think of her as allusive. They had not bad new students at Kings Landing in a long time. So even though there was no reason to think of her as allusive that is the word he associated with her.

After the scene that Joffery made the atmosphere of the party had been a little on edge. Beric had tried to make the mood lighter and they played 80's pop music to lighten that fake mood. Margaery Tyrell had dragged as many people she could out onto the dance floor. She started to dance and so did the group that she forced on the floor. Sansa Stark was there with a smile on her face when Joffery came back to the tent. Myrcella came back and dragged both Bran and Arya onto the floor with her. Gendry had watched Arya move and shake it with Myrcella and he could not take his eyes off her. He watched her like a thirsty man watches ice water in the hands of the devil. He felt a surge of electricity flash in his body when he would look up and see her looking at him. He also felt deep rage when he noticed that she was looking at Aegon as well.

He returned to his house after the party in a foul mood. He tried to sleep but was unable to. He lay in his bed and he couldn't get his mind off Arya. Restless energy surged in his body. He got up off his bed and went to his computer. He opened a new window and put the name Arya Stark into the search engine and a few hits popped up. He clicked on them, but most of them only said that she was Eddard and Catelyn Stark's third biological child and their second daughter. He was not able to find any images of her so he looked her up on Facebook. Her page was private and so he sent her a friend request. He finally went to bed around 2 in the morning.

Saturday she had accepted as his friend request. He was able to see what she was like. There were pictures of her on her page! He was shocked to see that the girl in the photos looked nothing like the girl he saw at the party. Then he found a picture of her from the party. She had her arm linked with Myrcella and they were laughing and smiling. He stopped his cyber stalking and got down to work on his homework. He wrote a paper on Hamlet, did some Algebra, and then played some video games. It was a good day. It was made even better when he ordered pizza and watched a Godfather Marathon.

 Sunday was a slow day for him. Aegon called him to go out with the guys and they went to their usual hangout spot. It was a 50's themed diner. They had burgers and told jokes. Gendry was feeling better and lighter then he had all weekend. Then his foul mood returned. Arya Stark walked past their hangout spot. She smiled at them in recognition. She was shopping. That was evident from the bags hanging off her arms. She stopped to wait for whoever she was with. She looked into the shop and saw him. She smiled and waved. Her sister and Myrcella and Margaery caught up with her and dragged her off to do more shopping he suspected.

"I haven't been able to get out of my mind all weekend." Aegon said as she walked away. "I think on Monday I am going to ask her for her number."

"It has been a while since you showed any interest in a girl." Hot Pie said. He was sitting at a booth reading a cookbook.

Gendry looked over at Hot Pie. He did not want him to encourage Aegon in his quest for Arya. But there was really nothing he could do about it. Gendry sighed. His friend had called dibs. But damn it he wanted her too.

He went home that night in a depressed mood and went and started to tinker in his garage. He always felt better when he had his hands covered in grease from his car. He popped his hood and just looked at the internal workings of what made a car a car. Already his mood had improved. He decided that he would give his car an oil change at school Monday. He was looking forward to the start of the week. He went to bed but he couldn't sleep. He was up most of the night tossing and turning. When he does dream he dreams of her. Some of them were good and happy; others made him wake up in rage and was breathing hard. In those dreams Aegon is with Arya. After the third one of those dreams he was unable to sleep. He spent the remainder of the night tossing and turning. So when he finally pulled himself out of bed he had half an hour to get dressed and get to school. The day was going to be hell. 

Arya

Monday came blaring in to reality way to early for Aryas liking. Her alarm was blaring the tone of bagpipes for some strange reason. She flung her pillow at it. She figured that Rickon had changed it the day before when she had been out shopping with Sansa, Myrcella and Margaery. She hated shopping, and the tampering with her alarm just reinforced her hatred of the thing. She was in the mood to kill whoever changed it when it started up again.

She had been up most of last night tossing and turning. She had for the first time in her memory set out what she was going to wear for the start of the school day. She had gotten a substantial amount of clothes over the weekend. Saturday she went with just her mother. She had enjoyed shopping with her, until she had pulled her hair up into a ponytail and her mother had seen that she had dyed parts of the bottom layer purple without telling her about it. They had had one of their fights that ended up with both of them not speaking to each other. Her father didn't understand why Catelyn was so angry. He said that they always wanted Arya to do something with her hair and now Catelyn was mad that Arya had done what they wanted her to do, they should be happy not mad. After that comment both Arya and Eddard were in the dog house with Catelyn.

Sunday was a completely different experience. The girls took her first to the ruffles and pastel clothing shops, but they soon realized that there was "no way in hell" that Arya would put "any of that crap" on her body. The next few shops were more to her liking. She found colors she liked, and she was shown how to get things that fit her body type and how to show off her figure. She got things for everyday and school and for going out. She was shown that shoes were not the enemy and was persuaded that heels were not a death sentence. She came home with eight pairs of shoes, half of them heels.

The last thing she learned about was underwear. Arya knew that the girls had kept that shop until the end. She never knew that there was different underwear for different kinds of outfits, or that they came in so many different colors and patterns. She got a little of everything. The thing that she liked best was her push up bra. It made her b cups look like a large c. She never guessed that a bra could help out that much. She couldn't wait to see how people reacted to her. 

Arya flung the blankets off and shuffled off to the closest bathroom to shower and get ready for the day. She had a routine that she always did before school and she fell into it very easily. There were some alterations to the routine today. After her shower she blow-dried her hair then used her curling iron to flip the ends up, just like the girl in the salon showed her. She had convinced her sister to take her back to the salon they had been to and she had more purple put in her hair. She put makeup on as well. Eye liner and shadow. Then she used mascara and pocked herself in the eye. She put on a lip gloss last. She had always prided herself that she had a great completion and had never had to use a face base. She gave her face and hair a once over and walked back to her room. She changed into the outfit that she had picked. She slid into the black skinny jeans with a pair of mid-calf boots with a modest 2 inch heel. She put on a white tee shirt over her deep purple tank top that matched her bra. Then she threw on a fitted vest with thin silver stripes. She grabbed a light weight jacket. At the last moment she snagged a scarf and was out the door to go down to breakfast. For the first time she felt ready for school. She had decided not to be a nobody here and she was going to do that. She was going to be a somebody. 

Sansa

Sansa had always been a morning person. She was up, showered, dressed and groomed to perfection before anyone else was moving around in the house. She nervously paced her room and then rechecked that she had everything that she would need for the first day at the new school. When she couldn't stand being in her room she went down stairs and waited in the kitchen. The cook, Mrs. Clark, was there making breakfast.

"Good morning Sansa. What do you want for breakfast this morning? The usual Stark breakfast of the works, or yogurt and granola with a cup of tea."

"Can I get a poached egg and whole wheat toast? I can get my own tea." Sansa said.

"Of course dear. I will have that for you in a jiffy. Are you excited about the first day of school?" Mrs. Clark asked.

"A little. I am glad that I have gotten to know some of my classmates already. I do not think that I would be able to walk in there and not know anyone." Sansa said as she steeped her tea in the cup.

"You have always been a timid little dove. You don't let on all to often, but it is true. I have known you your entire life. I remember your first day at preschool. You screamed when you got to the car door and made Robb and your mother stay with you all day until you made a friend. You are doing much better this time around dear. So what classes have they put you in here? Anything interesting?"

"I have chemistry II, advanced trig, advanced government, French, advanced creative writing, gymnastics, journalism and photography. They put all the fun classes in the afternoon and the difficult ones first thing in the morning. I don't know if I will be able to survive." Sansa said with a wistful smile on her lips.

"Gosh that work load sounds like it could kill a person. Are you going to try cheerleading?" Mrs. Clark asked.

"I am. I have my meeting with the coach this afternoon after school." Sansa smiled. She very much wanted to be on a cheer team again.

"It sounds like you need a good start to the day. Here is your breakfast. I want to see it all gone and the slices of peaches too. I want you to eat it all." Mrs. Clark said as she set the plate down.

"Yes ma'am." Sansa said as she started to eat her food despite the fact her nerves were making her stomach twist. She looked out the window. It over looked the pool area. It was still warm in the South. If they had been the North the idea of a pool would be completely crazy. They had an indoor pool at Stark Manor, but the idea of an outdoor pool still impressed her. She could not wait until she could lay out in tone sun by the pool. She pictured Joffery beside her. But she wasn't thrilled with that idea then Sandor was in her day dream instead. She liked Sandor but he wouldn't help her win the Prom Queen crown. she decided that a day dream couldn't hurt and it made her smile so she went with it. 

She had eaten all her breakfast and was drinking her tea, and telling Mrs. Clark about taking Arya into Victoria's Secret, when her mother and father came into the kitchen. Ned had the Stark Special and Catelyn had half a grapefruit and dry toast. They both took coffee and were both silently reading the papers while they ate their food. Sansa smiled as she noticed that with their free hands they were clasp under the papers. She loved that her parents showed affection to each other. Rickon came tearing into the room, chattering with Mrs. Clark about some kind of cartoon that he was excited to watch after school. Bran shuffled in. Despite his huge intellect he was not a morning person. Mrs. Clark put a bowl of cereal in front of him and he grunted his thanks. When there was ten minutes to go before they were supposed to leave Arya breezed down for a bite. Catelyn looked over at her second daughter and Sansa saw her mothers lips go thin. Ned spoke before his wife can ask Arya anything. 

"I am taking you kids to school today on my way to the office. Let's get going now. I don't want to be late." Ned said.

Sansa was out of the kitchen and on her way to the car with her bag before the rest had left their chairs. Her palms were sweating and she had knots in her stomach. She hoped that her breakfast would stay down.  This was so much worse then her first day of preschool.

Sandor

He was sitting in the parking lot waiting for school to start. He was happy to go to school for the first time in as long a time as he could remember. He had had a good weekend for a change. He had stopped Joffery in his attempt to retaliate against the waitress for her accident by giving him a false name for the girl. He spent an enjoyable time at his home alone reading The Greats of Wrath, one of his favorite books. Best of all he had seen how Sansa had looked at Joffery at the party when he let his perfect mask slip. Joff had let the monster that lurks under the surface out to play. She had a look of disgust and anger on her face when Joffery had tried to attack that poor girl. He knew, just knew that Sansa would not want anything to do with the worm. He hoped he saw her today. Sandor had forgotten how to hope. But he found himself doing just that.

He saw the Stark family pull up and the vixen and her siblings filed out of a big SUV. The three stood there looking at the school. Sandor looked at it too. He guessed to someone who had never been there before would find it intimidating. He got out of his car and started to walk to the Starks. He looked at the girl who had peeked his interest. Her red hair was pulled into a high pony tail. Her face was clean and he drank it in. But then he let his eyes take in the rest of her and that was just as mouth watering. She had on a pale yellow skirt and a light green cardigan. He figured that the skirt had to have some kind of green design on it to toe the outfit together. 

He never tore his gaze off her as he walked away from his car swords her. Sandor was almost to her when he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw that Joffery had sauntered over to Sansa and took her arm. She has not pulled away, she had allowed him to take her elbow and lead her into the wave of students. The anger that washed into him was crippling. He wanted to hit something or someone. He wanted to smash his massive fist into that worms stomach. He forced himself to calm down. It was not an easy task. 

The high he had been feeling all weekend had vanished in seconds. Sandor just stood there and couldn't understand what was happening. Maybe he was wrong about the vixen. Maybe she was just a stupid girl after all. He was insane for thinking Sansa Stark was any different then the rest of them. He felt like a fool, and he hated feeling like a fool. He shuffled into school and went to his locker with his customary scowl on his face. People got out of his way. He stowed his bag and grabbed his books. He walked into his chem class and noticed something new.

Sansa was standing at the front of the class talking to the teacher. He cursed on the inside. This was not who he wanted to see after what he had seen with Joffery. He went to his usual table and sat down. He opened his book and pretended to read it. He watched Sansa thou the curtain of his long hair. He saw the teacher nod in the direction of his table. He knew that she would sit by him.

"Hello Sandor. Can I sit with you? I don't know anyone here and I don't think I could start the day off sitting next to a complete stranger." She smiled at him.

"Sure." He felt his anger melting. "I remember that you don't like strangers." He scooted his books over had so she would have a place to sit. 

"Thank you so much. Is this class hard?" She asked sliding into the chair next to him.

"Yes it is. Were you taking it at Winterfell?" He asked.

"Yes I was. I liked it but there were some things that I didn't understand." She admitted.

"I am pretty good at this stuff. If you need any help I can help you." Sandor said. Her face was tilted up looking up at him. There was a sweet smile on her lips. He couldn't believe that he had just done that. He was good, but not that good at chem.

"Thank you so much. I probably ask you to help me catch up with where the class is." She said. "When class is over could you show me where my next class is? I don't think I will be able to find my way around here."

"Sure. Can I see your schedule? I could check and see if we have any other classes together." He really wanted to know what classes she was taking. 

"Yes. Here you go." Sansa handed over her schedule over. Sandor looked over her schedule. She had five classes with him. He was thankful that she was smart. This way she would have less of a chance to get to be around the worm or his roving hands. He was going to tell he which classes they had together but the teacher called the class to order. Instead he took his pencil and marked which ones they had together. He looked over at her when he slid the paper over to her. She glanced down at it and smiled. His hope returned. There may be a chance for him after all. Today was looking up.


	7. First Day in A New Town

Bran

He was grumpy and tired. Bran was never a morning person, and today reminded everyone this was true. He wanted to be sleeping. He rode in silence while his father drove him to school with his siblings. Bran never understood why school had to start so early. There was nothing wrong with the idea of school starting up at noon in his opinion. But that was not the way of things. No one was really talking as they drove. When they got to Rickons school he jumped out and ran to Tommen Baratheon. Then they were off to Kings Landing High. Ned pulled up to the front and Bran got out of the car and waited for his sisters.

"I will be picking you up after school. If something comes up call me or your mother." Ned said to his children before driving away.

"Why is it so bright here?" Arya asked as the sun flashed down at them.

"Closer to the equator then we were back home." Bran answered as he turned to look up the school.

"Sansa, there you are." Joffery Baratheon came over to the trio of Starks. "I have been looking for you. I was going to show you to your class."

"Oh thank you Joffery." Sansa said. She plastered a smile on her face as she let Joffery lead her into the school.

"Come on encyclopedia boy. Let's get in to this place and get some knowledge." Arya said when Sansa was no longer in view.

"What has made you so chipper? Usually you are as grumpy as I am in the morning. And I know that you were up early too. You did yourself up for school." Bran said. He looked his sister over and she had even put make-up on. She never did that in Winterfell.

"I am excited. That is all. I get to take my art and auto classes." Arya replied. She blushed and he suspected there was more that she was saying.

Bran knew how much his sister wanted to take those classes. He was just as excited to start his classes to. He was taking all advanced classes. He couldn't wait to see if they challenged him here. For fun he was taking a theater class as well as intro to psych. Theater was his first class. He wanted to have his more challenging classes in the afternoon when he was fully awake and his brain was function completely. So he had theater, English, German, psych in the morning and history, math, and science in the afternoon.

"I will follow you. I don't know where I am going." Bran said.

"I don't know either." Arya said. Just then a boy and a girl walked over to them.

"Hi there. My name is Meera Reed, this is my brother Jojen. Are you new here?" The girl asked.

"Yes we are new. Arya Stark. This is my brother Bran. We need some directions to our first classes." Arya said.

"I'm sure we can help. We both have theater first period, but we can show you where to go." Meera said.

"I have theater first too. Arya has art." Bran said. He was slightly surprised at how friendly this girl was.

"Cool. The art studio class is on the way to the theater." Meera said. "This way." She led them into the school.

"How old are you?" Jojen asked when they tried to ford the sea of students.

"I'm thirteen. I will be 14 at the end of January. Arya is 15. Her birthday is in June." Bran answered.

"You are young. What did you do jump a grade?" Jojen asked.

"Yeah. I guess I am super smart. They bumped me up." Bran said.

Meera showed Arya to class leaving Jojen to take Bran to the theater. It was a small theater compared to what he imagined it would be. There was a white board in the center of the stage where a figure that he recognized stood there writing.

"Is that Renly Baratheon?" Bran asked.

"Yeah. He works here part time. He is a student teacher. He's pretty cool. A little weird, but cool none the less." Jojen said.

Bran walked up to the stage and went up to his teacher. "Mr. Baratheon? I need you to sign this." Bran said at Renlys side.

"Bran! I saw your name on the roster today. I am very happy to have you. And please call me Renly. I'm a student teacher. It means I'm not a real teacher yet." Renly said.The man had a smile on his face a mile wide. Bran thought he would be a drab man as a teacher, but he was jovial. 

 Renly signed the slip of paper and handed it back to Bran. Bran walked off the stage and took his seat in the audience.

Arya

Meera Reed walked her to class, and Arya tried to memorize the route she took, but it was impossible. There were to many hallways for her to follow. Once to her class Meera  went off to her own. Arya stopped at the door and peered in. There were easels and pottery wheels scattered all around. She walked over to the desk of the teacher. She handed her the slip that she was supposed to have all her teachers sign. She had to stay there and talk to the teacher about her art. Arya pulled out her sketch book. It was to judge her level for her class load. She had known to bring the book, so she had. No one had seen these pictures before. There were pictures of her family that she drew. None of them knew of the sketch book, but she had it. She also showed the teacher photos of the paintings that she had done as well. The teacher was impressed with her work. She showed her to a work station and let her get to work as she felt fit. Apparently she was deemed as an advanced student and given certain freedoms. 

"Hello." A deep voice said from her right.

Arya looked over and sucked in her breath. Standing next to her area was one of the most interesting men she had ever seen. He had short hair, but it was two different colors, red and white. His face was in perfect balance and she couldn't tell what his eye color was. He was muscular but not overtly so. He gave off the vibe of feline grace and confidence. There was a paint brush in his hand and a smudge of cornflower blue on his cheek.

"Hi." Arya said. She shyly dropped his gaze.

"What are you going to paint lovely girl?" He asked.

"Um I don't know yet." She said as she turned away from him to look at her blank canvas. She felt a little of her normal bold self surface and she looked back over to her right. He was still looking at her.

"A girl must know what she is going to paint. A lovely girl such as you should feel what she is going to paint. I am Jaqen H'ghar. I am a senior here and the student aid for the class. If you need assistance just ask and I will assist you." The man said.

All Arya could do is look at him. She felt her fingers tingling. She wanted to wipe the paint off his cheek. There was something pulling her to this man. What was it with this place? She had been South for four whole days and she sees three highly attractive men that are nice and show her more interest in her then she has had ever had in her entire life back in Winterfell. What was it about her in this place? Arya turned to her work station and thought about what she would paint. All she felt like painting was trees and home. She got her paint out and closed her eyes for a moment. She started out with a pencil outline. Then she went on to painting. She had not gotten very far when the bell rang.

"A girl can paint." Jaqen said from directly behind her. She jumped, but she still felt the heat of another body behind her.

"I have a name you know." She snapped. She was unnerved at how she was reacting to him.

"I do not know what it is so you are a girl until you name yourself." Jaqen said.

"Arya. I'm Arya Stark." She answered. "What is your next class Arya Stark?" He asked her.

"Advanced poetry. I needed a writing credit, and all the other writing classes looked dull." She said.

"I have taken this class. It will open your mind and help you with your painting. I can show you the way. " He said as they walked out of the class. They wound their way through the crowded hall and into the mass of people. He dropped her off at door for her next class. "Until tomorrow lovely girl." He said with a slight incline of his head. She felt as if he wanted to kiss her hand in farewell.

Arya walked into the class, went to the teacher, was given her book and told where to sit. To her relief there were two faces she knew and she was sitting by them.

"Arya!" Beric said. "You have joined us humble wordsmiths in our quest for the perfect sonnet?" Arya smiled as she set her things down on her desk.

"Yes I am. Hi Aegon." She smiled at him and she thought again at how hot he was. 

"Hi Arya." He said. There was a glint in his eye, one she had often seen in the eyes of boys when they looked at Sansa, but never her.

The teacher called the class to attention and set them on their assignment. The class was quiet except for the scratch of pens on paper. Arya wrote a free verse pome on the color cornflower blue and by the end of class she was satisfied with it. She handed it over to the teacher along with the rest of the class.

"Arya wait up." Aegon said. "What is your next class? Can I walk you? The halls are tricky for a new comer."

"Geometry. Unlike the rest of my family I have no mind for math. I am taking the normal math with my grade like a proper person." She said.

"I can drop you there. I think Myrcella has that class as well." Aegon put his hand on the small of her back and guided her in the sea of people. She had never had a boy touch her there and she blushed crimson. She hoped no one was looking.

Grendy

He had not intentionally followed Arya, but he seemed to see her all over. When he walked by the art wing she was there being left at the painting studio by a girl he had seen around, but didn't know. Then when he was walking to his history class he saw her walking the opposite way with some senior with two toned hair. Then on his way to his math class he spotted her walking with Aegon who had his hand on the small of her back. He saw red at his friends hand on her body. She was happy and all smiles when Myrcella walk up. Myrcella waved and said something to Arya who headed into class and Myrcella walked over to him.

"Hey Gendry. I have some pictures for you from the party. I have them on a flash drive for you. Beric said you handle all the publicity stuff for your band and some of the pictures are really good." She said looking up into his eyes, all hopeful. He knew that the girl had a crush on him, and he found her attractive, but he didn't see her that way.

"Thanks Myrcella. I will take a look at them." He said smiling. Gendry took the flash drive and gave her a smile. 

He sat in his math class and took notes but his mind was not on the subject. He was thinking of Arya. There was something about her. He usually kept away from the opposite sex. The date that he had canceled on to do the gig on Friday was more for Thoros' cousin's benefit then because he wanted a date. He was supposed to be her arm candy to get back at an ex. He had said yes to going along with it because she said that she'd pay for dinner and the tickets to a concert he had wanted to see. But other then that he had never really went out on a date with anyone before. Arya made him want to change that. It was starting to scare him how much she was in his thoughts. He hadn't even really talked to the girl before, yet she was all he thought about.Gendry didn't know if it was normal to think this much about a girl that you had a crush on or if there was something wrong with him. The bell rang and he shuffled out of the door with the rest of his class to join into the swell of high school humanity.

"Gendry!" Myrcellas voice called out to him. He stopped and turned to look for her. She was waving her hand in the air over the heads of the other students and thanks to his height he was able to spot her. He changed directions in the current and made his way over to her. When he got to her side Arya was standing next to her looking a little angry.

"Gendry you have the next class with Arya. Can you show her where to go?" Myrcella asked. She smiled, but Gendry could tell she didn't want to leave her new friend with him. "Um. Sure. Follow me." He turned back into traffic and walked slowly to make sure Arya was following. When they were outside on the way to the auto shop he looked over to her. Something was definitely wrong with her. The scowl on her face would have kept people away, but they didn't call hint Bull for his size. 

"Math not your thing?" He asked.

"They are a chapter ahead then where I was at Winterfell. And the jerk of a teacher wouldn't let me skip over it. I have until Friday to do the whole chapter as well as the daily work. He is a complete prick." She said her cheeks pink with her anger. Her hands were balled into fists and she looked like she could put something behind a swing. 

"I'm good at math. I could help you out if you'd like." He said looking at his feet as they walked. He had no idea why he had said that. Gendry _was_ good at math, but offering to help _her_ with math was a little much. 

"I would really love that. Usually my older brother Jon helps me with math but he's back home. And I would have had to ask Bran and he is the worst person to have help you with something you do not understand. He complicates everything. You are a life saver Gendry." She placed her hand on his arm and a charge shot through his body.

He cleared his throat. "So you are interested in mechanics?" He asked when he remembered how to speak.

"Yes. I love working on cars. I used to help my brothers when they worked on theirs, but my mother never allowed me to take classes in school. Father convinced her to let me here." She said.

"I'm changing the oil on my car today. If you want you can help. I know it's not a two person job, but you are more then welcome to help."

"I would like that a lot." She smiled at him and his heart leapt. They made it into the auto shop right before the bell rang.

Sansa

She was happy that she had most of her classes with someone she knew. Sandor was such a help with navigating the school that she didn't know what she would have done without him. She met quite a few people and everyone seemed nice, but she much more preferred to sit in the comfortable quiet that she had with Sandor. This strange guy almost made her forget that she wanted to be Prom Queen. She knew it was shallow and stupid but she had wanted to be the prom queen of her senior class for as long as she could remember. So when she realized that Joffery Baratheon was the most popular guy in her class she had decided to use him to climb the social ladder. She had to hide her revulsion and pretend to laugh at the things he would say. She faked happiness when he turned up to walk with her to all her classes.

She ate lunch with him and his friends that day. Margery and some other girls sat with them. The guy talked about football play offs and parties, the girls talked about hair, guys and shoes. To her the conversation was not very stimulating. But she pretended to care. Prom Queen was worth the mind numbing chit chat going on around her. She had looked around the cafeteria for her brother and sister and spotted them when she had first entered, to make sure they found the cafeteria. They were at opposite ends of the room from her. She was smack dab in the center. She knew that Joffery picked this spot because in his mind he was the center of the universe. She envied her siblings. They seemed to really be enjoying their new friends.??

Bran was with a boy and a girl that looked like they were related. They had a book opened between them and were bent over it in deep conversation. Arya was with Myrcella and the guys from the band that played at the party. Sansa noticed that two of the guys were vying for Aryas attention, but she didn't seem to notice that their attention was anything but friendly, or that Myrcella had a sad look on her face whenever one of the two guys talked to her. Sansa knew that look, and it was not one that should be on your closest female friends face. Sansa made a note in her mind to talk with Arya about the two guys and Myrcella. 

Sansa was talking to Margaery when Joffery told the entire group to shut up and pay attention to what he had to say.

"Friday after the game, after we win there will be a party at my house. I want everyone at this table to attend. It is not optional. I don't give a shit if your parents say no, you get there or you will need to find new friends." Joffery finished his speech and looked around the table. He looked at Sansa for a moment. "And Sansa will you be my date to the party?" She was shocked. His request was more an order then a question and she really didn't want to go, but she knew that if she turned him down she would never make prom queen and she would not be allowed to be around the few friends that she had made.

"I would really like that Joffery." She said. She was now dating him. He had asked her out on a date and she had said yes. She was going to get the crown and then dump him. She could do that.  

"The Hound will pick you up on his way to the party and take you home when it is done. Is that okay with you Dog?" Joffery didn't even wait for an answer from Sandor before turning away to talk to one of his football teammates.

Sansa looked over at Sandor. His mouth was set in a thin line. The lunch bell rang and Sandor hurried out of the cafeteria, Sansa followed.

"Sandor wait!" She quickened her pace and caught up with him. He wouldn't look down at her, so she put her hand on his arm. "Sandor you don't have to take me to Jofferys party. I can borrow one of my parents' cars and drive myself."

"No I will take you. Come on we will be late. I have to go to the gym and so do you." They walked on to their next class and she was thinking about how much nicer Friday would be if she was going to the party as Sandors date instead of Jofferys. But the way to the crown was with Joffery, not Sandor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know people are reading this, but I would love to hear from you all. I know it is a little teenage, but if you stick with me it gets better, more adult.  
> Just letting you know now I was pregnant when I wrote the bulk of the story and food will come into play in some ways. Okay read and enjoy. Let me know if you like it!


	8. Game Night and Parties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There will be some under aged drinking and cussing in this chapter. So now that that's out there enjoy the story

 

Myrcella

Friday night was a big night at Kings Landing High. The football team was playing the first game of the district play offs. Myrcella was sitting with her parents in the stands watching her brother play. She was excited for her school, but she secretly hoped that the other team members would hurt Joffery. Football was the only time that she knew her brother would get sacked and there was nothing her mother could do about it. But so far there had been no sacking of the QB. Marcella tried watching the game, but she was so board. She wished that something fun would happen.

Down on the sidelines the cheerleaders were cheering and keeping the crowd happy, the game was good, but everyone needs to see a pretty girl shake their pom-poms at a game. Sansa was kicking and waving her pom-poms like her life, her whole world depended on it. Sansa’s voice was clear and loud as she led the crowd in the chants. In a week Myrcella watched as Sansa became popular. There was something about her that made people want to be around her and do things for her. The only person who was more popular than Sansa was Margery, but she had been the Queen of King’s Landing since grade school. But Marcella knew that one day, and one day soon, Sansa would be the most popular girl in the school.

Myrcellas father was there watching the game in the stands and he was drunk and making rude comments about the cheerleaders and their short skirts. Ned Stark was sitting by her father and Ned was trying, unsuccessful, to keep Roberts voice below a bellow. Arya and Bran were there as well, but they were not really paying attention. Bran was on his Kindle and would cheer whenever the crowd did, but he was not watching the game. Arya was intermittingly texting with someone and talking to Myrcella. She didn't know who Arya was texting, Marcella hoped it was no one from school, but Arya had a smile on her face. Marcella was really enjoying her new friend, but she did not want her as compotation for Gendry or his attention.

Myrcellas phone chirped.

 _Hey Myrcella. Where are you?-_ Gendry

 _Sitting with my family. Where else would I be_?

 _Can you get away?_ \- Gendry

_I think so. Where are you?_

_Concessions stand with Thoros and Hot Pie. Hot Pie wanted chili fries._ \- Gendry

_That is just like him. I'll bring Arya with me. If that’s okay?_

_Heck yeah! We’ll see you soon. Hurry up._ ;) – Gendry

Myrcella really wanted to go with the guys. They had never asked her to hang out at a game before. She was so excited. She had known them for a year and this was something she really wanted to do. She hoped that Arya was not the reason they were asking her to come hang out, she hoped Gendry wanted to see her, not her fast becoming best friend.

"Arya do you want to go meet the guys at the concession stand?" Myrcella asked. Arya didn't respond. Her face was glued to her phone and she was texting super-fast. "Arya! Are you there?" She waved her hand in front of Arya’s face. Arya still didn’t respond so Myrcella pinched her arm.

"Ouch! What the hell Myrcella! That was not cool." Arya snapped. She was rubbing her arm, looking pissed.

"She did ask you a question. You were the one ignoring her." Bran said from beside her. Despite the fact he had not looked up front his Kindle really showed that he was super observant.

"You asked me a question? I'm sorry I was distracted." Arya said. She placed her phone down on her lap AMD looked sullenly at her friend.

"It’s okay." Myrcella shrugged. "The guys wanted to meet at the concession stand. Want to go?"

"Oh. Okay." Arya turned and hollered at her mother in an unlady like way. "Hey mom! Myrcella and I are going to the concession stand to meet some friends. I have my phone." Arya said to her mother.

"Alright dear. Do you have money?" Catelyn asked. She was eyeing Robert with masked disapproval.

"Yep. We will see you later." Arya stood and walked away before Myrcella had a chance to ask her parents.

The girls headed down the stands to the ground and made the way between the spectators cheering for the team. They wove their way to the concession stand to find their friends at the counter getting Hot Pies chili fries.

"Arya, Myrcella glad that you came to join us." Thoros said when they got up to where they were had gathered. Myrcella was sad that Thoros had greeted Arya by name first, but she hoped that it was just because it was alphabetical.

"It is better than hanging around our parents and watching my mother making a fuss about every hit my brother takes." Myrcella said. She rolled her eyes and they all laughed at the fact her mother was crazy.

The stadium cheered. The team had done well and scored a touchdown. The band started to play and the cheerleaders led the crowd in a cheer. Arya looked at Myrcella and rolled her eyes. Hot Pie did a cheer with the girls and the guys busted a gut at the idea of Hot Pie acted like Sansa.

Gendry joined them and smiled at them all. His eyes lingered on Arya and Myrcella had to fight to keep her scowl off her face. After their greetings the five of them walked out of the stadium to the parking lot where there were the rest of the school, the ones who were to cool to bluntly support their team had gathered. Beric and Aegon were waiting by Gendry’s car. There were laughing and joking together over something the people three cars down were doing.

"Are you going to the party at our house after the game?" Myrcella asked Gendry as they walked side by side.

"There is a party that we heard about in another part of town. We were going to go there." He slid his look to Arya then back to her. "It is not going to be the jock squad and their groupies. There are going to be real people there. Not that you aren’t real. You would be the only reason to go to that party."

"Oh." Myrcella said dejectedly. She had really wanted them to co e to the party at her house.

"You can come with us if you want. And Arya too." He flicked his gaze over to her again.

Myrcella smiled sadly at him, fluttering her lashes at him. "I would, but I have to go to the party at my house."

Aegon heard this and came over and slung his arm around her shoulders. He smiled down at her and she sucked in her breath. She had forgotten how attractive he was. If Myrcella had not been so wrapped up in Gendry for so long she would have gone after him in a heartbeat.

"You know that you don't want to be there. Come with us. It will be more fun." He gave her a crooked smile and then touched her hand with his fingertips.

"I don't think my mother would allow it. She is okay with hosting parties, but not okay with me going to them." She blushed. She did not like to admit that her mother was way to over protective.

"I don't want to go to the party at your house either." Arya popped up from that back of the group. Myrcella had almost forgotten about her. "No offence but all the people that are going are all asses. Your brother being the biggest one." Arya said, still looking at her phone.

"Isn't your sister going to be there?" Aegon asked.

"Yeah with Myrcella’s brother. I love my sister, but she has the worst taste in men." Arya finally looked up from her phone and gave them all an impersonation of being sick.

They all chuckled at the face that Arya made. Myrcella thought that Arya looked like she had eaten a lemon. It was not a secret that Arya had quickly grown to dislike her brother. She could not really blame her. Arya had come across him bullying a freshman and intervened. Joffery had called her a little bitch and had said that if she got in his way again she would pay. Arya called Joffery a ball-less wimp for having to pick on the young and the weak to feel like a man. When Myrcella got home from school that day Joffery had cornered her and slapped her for being friends with Arya. She didn't tell anyone about that. There were no marks on her so no one was likely to believe her. Like always.

"I have an idea!" Arya shouted out. "Why don't you stay over at my house tonight? My parents will let us go to the party with the guys if we get home by one. That way we won’t have to ask your parents, just mine!" Arya said a mischievous glint in her eye.

"That is a great idea. That way you don't have to put up with the jock-straps and the rest of the stupid asses." Beric said. He was grinning. He must really want to go to this party.

"I don't know. My mother is protective. She says she is a mother lioness when it comes to us kids, and they do not let anything mess with their cubs. That’s why she says we can party at home. But nowhere else." Myrcella’s cheeks burned. She knew that the others wanted her to go, and there were going to do it no matter what. She hated making them wait for her to say yes.

"Then ask your father. He will say yes." Arya said. "That’s what I always do when something comes up that I know my mom will say no to. Play them against each other so they get pissed at each other, not you." Arya had her face back to her phone.

That was a good idea. Myrcella knew that her father would say yes, just to piss her mother off. She decided that she would give it a try. One night of rebellion was something that she could do. It was not like her real friends would be at the party at her house, she was already with them. She would have more fun with them anyway.

"Alright. Let's do it." She smiled at the group around her.

"Excellent!" Gendry shouted and the others whooped.

"I'm going to text my dad and ask him if you can stay the night. He will talk to Robert for us. And I will tell him we are going to get something to eat with our friends so we won't have to go back to the stands and you won't have to face your mom." Arya said, her fingers flying over her phone as she talked.

"You sound if you have a lot of experience in deception." Gendry said a crooked grin on his face.

Arya looked up from her text and shot him a fuck off look and the others laughed.

"You are lucky she didn't hit you. I saw your arm from the other day when you told her that she would never be able to tighten the bolts on a tire without using the drill. The bruise was perfect." Aegon said.

"My arm is still bruised and sore." Gendry said, his smile growing bigger. "And she was able to do it without the fucking drill. It took me a long time to be able to do that. She's a strong Little Wolf."

Myrcella saw Arya’s head snap up. There was a look on her best friends' face that she had never seen before. It was both sad, wistful, and held a deep longing all at the same time. The two held each other's gaze for what felt like an eternity. Myrcella felt the first trickle of jealousy enter her. She quickly banished the thought. Arya was her friend. But at the same time she didn't know what Arya felt for Gendry.

During the week Myrcella had come to the realization that she was in fact in love with Gendry. She had liked him since the year before when he had come across her at a park trying to get her little brother to climb down from a tree. Tommen had gotten stuck near the top. He had been too scared to climb down. She had been too scared to climb up. So Gendry had climbed up the tree to the boy and helped him down. They struck up a friendship from that. Tommen still called Gendry his Hero for helping him.

She had had a fleeting crush on Aegon, but it was more of a superficial crush because of his good looks rather than anything else. Seeing Gendry show interest in Arya made Myrcella realize that she was in love with the blindest man in the world. But seeing Aegon show interest in both her and Arya was shocking to her.

She figured that if she went to the party that they would have the perfect opportunity to spend time with Gendry alone, together and she could make her feelings known to him. She hoped that Arya’s plan worked.

She heard Arya’s phone chirp.

"They say yes! Let's leave now. I don't think that I could show anymore school spirit tonight." Arya said. The others all shredded.

"Who's riding with who?" Aegon asked.

"I can hold five. And you only have your bike. I don't know how this is going to work out." Gendry said.

"Bike?" Myrcella asked turning to Aegon.

"I have been working on a motorcycle for a while and I decided to take her out tonight." Aegon blushed looking at Arya. Myrcella knew he had rode the bike to empress her.

"Myrcella was telling me this earlier that she had always wanted to ride on one. I told her about riding with my brothers. Why don't you ride with Aegon to the party?" Arya said her face back on her phone.

Myrcella shot Gendry a look. He had a slightly pleased look on his face. She felt her heart sink a little. A new idea was forming in her mind. She called it 'make Gendry jealous'.

She let her face light up in a bright smile as she turned to Aegon and laid her hand on his arm.

"Could I ride with you? I would love it." She let a purr enter her voice as she asked.

She saw him gulp. She knew that she could be devastatingly charming when she wanted to be.

"Sure." He stammered. "Yeah, you can come with me." He stammered.

The others piled into Gendry’s car. Arya sat up front with Gendry. Myrcella saw them chatting together. Arya had put her phone away, for the first time all night. Her felt the prickles of the green eyed monster poking out. She tried to shove it away, but it was still there. She was going to really have to fight this urge to smack her best friend in the face.

"You are going to have to hold onto me tight. I promise that I won't drive to scary." Aegon handed her a helmet. She saw Gendry roll down his window. This was her moment to act like a sex kitten.

"I will make sure to hold onto you, tight. Nothing could make me stop." She tried to put a sultry note into her voice as she swung her leg over the bike and looped her arms around Aegon’s lean waist. Aegon smiled at her and nodded his head. They locked eyes and in that moment they were the only two people in the world. Could Aegon really like her?

"We will follow you." Gendry said before they headed out. Aegon nodded and started up his bike. Myrcella looped her arms around him and scooted as close to him as she could. She was glad that she had worn layers. She knew the rice was going to chill her to the bones.

Aegon sped out of the parking lot into the night. The bike was smooth and accelerated as if they were on a cloud. Myrcella had never felt so alive! The ride was so amazing. She was loving the adventure so much. Aegon was a master at navigating in and out of traffic. She honestly didn’t want the ride to stop. But it eventually did. They were at the party. And it was in full swing by the time Aegon turned off the bike.

Myrcella took off the helmet and smiled at Aegon. She had not expected to enjoy the ride so much, but she truly had. She smiled at him and let her happiness flow into her eyes.

"Aegon that was so much fun." She said, in a breathless voice.

"We will have to do it again some time." He gave her a large goofy smile before the car full of the others pulled up beside them.

Bran

Bran sat in the stands reading but to listen to the commentary of the game. The Kings Landing Knights were winning so far 27-0. They were in the first half of the game and things were looking good for the team. He knew the Knights had this game in the bag. But he was more interested in what he was reading his Kindle. He had never read Shakespeare before and they had been assigned to find a monologue for his theater class from one of Shakespeare’s plays to perform on Monday for the class. He had chosen Mark Anthony's monologue from Julius Caesar, it went along with what he had been reading for his brother. He had it memorized already, but he found the other plays fascinating and had decided to read all Shakespeare’s work to familiarize himself with the material.

He felt his cell vibrate in his pocket and pulled it out. There was a text from Meera on it.

 _Will you stop reading and come down here?-_ Meera

Bran looked up and looked around. At the bottom of the stairs leading up to where he was sitting Meera was leaning on the railing looking at him. He smiled and set his Kindle down.

_There I stopped reading happy now?_

Meera smiled as she read his text and nodded her head indication that she was indeed happy that he had stopped reading.

 _Come out and join me and Jojen. We were going to go get something to eat. I can drop you off at your house when we are done._ –Meera

_Let me ask._

_Okay-_ Meera

"Mother can I go get a bite to eat with my friends?" Bran asked. He knew his mom would say yes. She let Arya go off with her friends. Catelyn wanted her children to thrive in the South, and that meant letting them leave the nest. But before she could answer someone else spoke up.

"Do you not feed your children Mrs. Stark?" Tyrion Lannister asked. "That is the second one to ask to go out and eat."

Catelyn smiled thinly at Tyrion then turned to look at Bran.

"You may go. I want you home by ten thirty at the latest." She said.

"What time did you tell Arya and Sansa to be home tonight?" Rickon asked. Bran smiled at his little brother.

"One." Ned said. His eyes were glued to the game. Ned loved sports, so this was no shock.

"Then why does Bran have to be home by ten?" Rickon wanted to know.

"The same reason you have to be home by eight when you are with your friends. Because of our ages." Bran told his brother. He wanted to say something scathing, but decided on tact. "Mother can you keep my Kindle and take it home for me?"

"Yes darling. Have fun and be safe." Catelyn said. She looked at her husband, who nodded his head than added one last remark. "And you have until eleven to be home."

Bran smiled as he walked down the stairs to the stadium to where Meera was waiting. She grabbed his hand without saying a word and led him to the parking lot without a word to him. Jojen was there waiting. As soon as they got within sight of her brother she released Brans hand. He did not understand why she had taken it in the first place but he didn't really care. He just found it odd. But he liked it. He felt alone without her hand in his.

"You found him. Was he doing what I told you he would be doing? Reading?" Jojen asked with a sly smile on his face.

Meera nodded her head.

"And was he in the section I told you about?" Jojen asked in an excited voice.

Meera nodded again.

"And did Tyrion say what I said he would say when Bran asked to get a bite?" he was practically bouncing around the car now.

Meera nodded again.

"What do you think Tyrion said if you know so much?" Bran asked, kind of mad at his friend’s strange behavior.

"Do you not feed your children Mrs. Stark?" Jojen asked. He did a perfect imitation of Tyrion’s voice.

"And how do you know that he asked that?" Bran asked.

"He saw him say it." Meera said. She was totally serious.

Bran stood there and looked between the two Reed siblings and could only stair at them in disbelief.

"How did you see it? Were you watching me?" Bran said scoffing at what his friends said.

"I have been watching you all week Bran." Jojen said. He was utterly serious.

"You have been stalking me?" Bran demanded. He was outraged.

"He has not been stalking you. But he sees things. With his mind’s eye." Meera said walking over to Bran and put her hand on his arm.

"Does he have a brain tumor? Is there something going on wrong with your head?" Bran demanded. If they were playing a prank on him, he was going to flip his shit.

"I am just observant, like you." Jojen blew Bran’s anger off. "Let's go. I am starving. A milkshake and burger sound great." Jojen was sliding off the front of the car where he had decided to lean, once his dancing was done.

"I am not going anywhere with you." Bran said backing away from Meera, and Jojen. He wasn’t going anywhere with them. They were obviously crazy.

"Wait Bran, come with us and we will explain everything, honest." Meera said earnestly.

Bran was torn between knowing want was happening with his new friends head and feeling like they were playing a trick on him. Like with all things in his life curiosity got the better of him and he agreed to go with the Reeds. It was time to learn something new. He was hoping to see what they had to offer him.

Sansa

She loved being a cheerleader. She was always happy about cheering in front of a mass of strangers. She loved that she could get an entire crowd on their feet and cheering for the football players. She truly felt like she was giving the players a reason to play. She had been over the moon after school on Monday after her talk with the cheer coach. She was granted a place in the squad with opened arms and all the girls were kind to her. It was more then she could have dreamed. This is what she really wanted.

She had found her in. She saw her path to get her crown. Now all she had to do was get a little more popularity and she would have her dream to be queen. It had been her dream since she was a small child to be the Prom Queen for her senior class. She had once found her aunt Lyanna's crown as a girl and had worn it around for weeks. Her mother had been pleased, but her father was saddened. Sansa had looked at pictures of her aunt when she won. There was a glow about her, a power about her that made her aunt seem like she could do anything, be anyone. Bring men to their knees, rule the world, it was all there on her face. On that one night, of her aunt’s prom, Lyanna had been on top of the world. Sansa wanted that feeling too. To honor the aunt that she never knew, to make her mother proud, to showing that the Starks held that power to make the world stand out and realize who she was, who her family was. The Starks were here to stay, and Winter is Coming.

So she stood there doing high kicks, shaking her pom-poms and she felt that pride surge with in her. She had not been a member of the school for long, but this team was amazing. She was excited about the game. She truly loved football. There was something beautiful and graceful about the way it was played. It was like a hi intensity dance of titans. It was fast and furious. Football was something she loved to see and admired the players for playing. She had always been the one to watch it on TV at home, she went to as many games as she could. Sansa was the one who understood the rules and the plays that were made in her family. It was kind of her thing. When she wasn't leading the crowd in cheers she was intently watching the game.

The team worked very well together. They flowed together and knew what the other was thinking before the play started. They blocked every pass, they caught every throw. They tackled any threat. She was a little amazed that the team didn't rally around the QB Joffery; they took their direction from Sandor. He was the heart of the team. He yelled only when someone did something wrong, he encouraged when someone did something good. When someone messed up he would bellow at them when they deserved it, but he always praised when someone once the yelling was done. Sandor did not want to demoralize his team, he just wanted them to be the best. Sansa noted that Joffery only bullied others and only praised himself.

Sansa had agreed to go out with Joffery before she had seen what he was really like and now she didn't think she could break it off with him. In the last week he had shown his cruelty and possessiveness in the extreme. He walked her everywhere at school, called and texted her incessantly, and she found out from Bran that he had threatened her Arya for protecting a smaller kid from Joffery. When she confronted him about that he had laughed and said that it was a misunderstanding. When she asked Arya she said the same thing, Arya lied so she could pay him back later in her own way. But he was also very charming when he wanted to be. She understood why he was so popular. He had money and spent it on everyone. He bought his friends then he kept them around by bulling them and paying them off.

The Knights just did an amazing block, so she was pulled from her musing. She cheered and rooted for the Knights. She put her heart into it. She was ecstatic when they won the game and was the one leading the spectators onto the field to congratulate the team. She reached Sandor first. His eyes were bright and he was extremely pleased with the win. Sansa was again struck dumb at how tall and imposing he was. But she was not frightened by his size. It really turned her on. She had a thing for big guys.

"You played amazingly Sandor. I have never seen anything like the way you on the field before." Sansa said as she gave him a fast congratulations hug. The hug was an impulse.

"It was a team effort." Sandor grunted. He beamed around at the guys around them. He had slid his arm around her during the hug and it was still warmly pressed against her waist.

"You were still amazing." Sansa said as she let him go. They smiled at each other and Sansa wanted to just stay near him.

"Sansa! There you are. What did you think of my playing?" Joffery demanded as he made his way over to them. He put his arm around her waist. His action pulled her away from Sandor. He looked from one to the other. There was an evil glint in his eye.

"You played very well Joffery." She said, feeling uncomfortable with Joffery clutching her to him.

"I was fantastic, everyone else was okay. Come on Hound we have to change. I have a party at my house to get to. Sansa you should wear your uniform, I like the way you look in it." Joffery said over his shoulder as he walked away.

"You don't really have to stay in the uniform if you don't want to." Sandor said in a soft voice.

"It’s okay. I don't mind staying in it. I can always change at the party." Sansa said dismissively. She didn’t really like wearing it when she was not cheering, but she had to admit that she liked the way this one looked on her body.

"Okay. I will meet you outside the lockers to go to the party." Sandor’s voice rippled.

"You don't have to do that. I am sure I can get a ride with Margaery. It is not a big deal." She didn’t want to impose on him.

"I said I would take you. I do not go back on my word once it has been given." Sandor said. His eyes were hooded and there was a tight smile on his face.

"Alright I will meet you outside the locker room." She said. They both walked in the ocean of people to the locker rooms. Sansa went into the girls to collect her bags. The other girls were excited about the win, but were even more excited about the after party.

"Joffery’s parties are legendary! He always had the best music, free booze and a pool to skinny dip in. This is going to be so much fun." Margery said as she changed out of her uniform. "Aren’t you changing Sansa?"

"Um, no. Joff asked me to stay in it." Sansa shrugged.

"Oh, well if that’s the case, ready to go?" Margery jingled her keys at her.

"Sandor is giving me a ride. Joffery ordered Sandor to take me, so I’m going to wait around for him." Sansa said as she pretended to touch up her lip gloss. The other girls looked at each other and left her there. Sansa let out a deep breath. She really didn’t want to go to the party, but it was her duty to show up. She was dating the host. So she walked out and waited for Sandor.

Gendry

He was trying to follow Aegon, who was driving like a bat out of hell, across town to a party that his friend had heard about. It was being thrown by a senior that Gendry did not really know, but had heard threw wicked parties. Gendry knew he wouldn’t know anyone but his friends and that was okay with Gendry.

He was pleased at the arrangement of who rode with whom to the party. Arya was sitting next to him in the front seat on his car. Her body was pressed to his side. She had to sit close to him. Hot Pie also sitting in the front seat, scarring down his chili fries. Thoros and Beric were taking up the entire back seat wrestling around, like children. He was happy that Myrcella had gone with Aegon. Now Aegon wouldn't be there to distract Arya from him and he didn't have to see the moon eyed looks Myrcella kept giving him. The only bad part about the whole situation was that Arya was on her phone the whole time.

"Who are you texting with Arya?" Hot Pie asked. Chili dribbled down onto his shirt. Gendry was glad the adorable fool had asked.

"My older brother Jon." She smiled hugely just mentioning her brother. "This is the longest I can ever remember not seeing him. He is my best friend." She said.

Gendry breathed a sigh of relief. It was only her brother, not that mysterious guy that she walked with after her art class. His lip curled back in a snarl just thinking about that guy. It was enough that he had to compete for Arya with his best friend, but a strange guy was something else. If Gendry had his way he would chain himself to her, so he could keep creeps away from her. Arya was just too nice for her own good. If she wasn’t then she wouldn’t be here with him and his foolish friends.

They pulled up to the house that the party was at. There were plenty of people and they all piled out of the car. Aegon and Myrcella were parked already, talking animatedly. But once Myrcella noticed Gendry her demeanor changed. Gendry just shook his head. She was his friend, nothing more.

"Aegon that was ssooo much fun. I really enjoyed it. Maybe you could teach me how to drive it someday." Myrcella said. She shot a look at Gendry as she said it.

Just what Gendry needed. Myrcella thinking that she can make him jealous by flirting with Aegon. Didn't she know that Aegon liked Arya too? Wasn't she supposed to be Arya’s friend? Weren't girls supposed to talk about that kind of thing? The opposite sex mystified him.

"Alright let's get into the party and see who all is here." Thoros said. "Maybe I will get lucky and I will find love."

"I doubt it Thoros. One look at you and any woman will go running." Beric said as he climbed out of the back seat.

The two got into a playful shoving match and they walked up to the door to the house.

It was opened and a crush of people came spilling out. There was music pulsating from inside the house. Gendry lead his group into the house and they saw some people that they knew from school. It was the mix of people who were the artist type, the stoner type and the classic mix of everyone who is not popular. It was a good mix of people at the rave, it was more than a party.

They walked deeper into the tangled mass of people. Gendry really wanted to pull Arya into the center of the living, moving group of people, and dance with her pressed against him. He had turned to her, about to ask her to dance. His half was making its way to hers. His fingertips touched the back of her smooth skinned hand. She turned and looked at him. He opened his mouth to ask, but he saw Arya look behind him and her eyes looked as large as plates.

"Hello lovely girl. I am very pleased that you could make it." The speaker was the two toned hair guy that walked with Arya from her art class to her poetry class every day. Gendry looked down at Arya, she had a smile on her face for the strange guy walking toward her.

"Jaqen is this your party?" She asked. Gendry really wanted to take her hand in his now. To keep her from this strange guy. He settled on glaring at Jaqen.

"It is. I just received word that our valiant Knights have just won their game." He shouted to the crowd in his house. There was a hoot and then most of the people in the living room rushed to the kitchen for shots. "And who are all these people that you have here with you?" Jaqen indicated to the group ringed around her once the volume level made it possible to talk without shouting.

"These are my friends. Myrcella, Hot Pie, Thoros, Beric, Aegon and Gendry." Arya introduced her friends.

Jaqen nodded his head at the names that were indicated. Gendry glared daggers at the new comer. There was something in the way that this guy looked at Arya that he didn't like. He looked over to Aegon and he had an identical look on his face. He looked like he wanted to rip the guys face off and stomp it into the ground. Aegon and Gendry might both be trying to win over Arya, but they both did not like this two toned headed freak giving their friend this strange attention.

"Hey man, thanks for throwing this party. It lookers like it is going to rock. Too bad you didn’t want some really good live music. We would have played here. You have a great turn out." Beric said, walking forward, slightly pushing Arya behind him. Gendry smiled. He was not the only one who wanted to keep Arya away from Jaqen.

"Alas I did not know you would be coming to my party. If I would have, I would have asked." Jaqen looked at the assembled men protecting him from Arya. "But since you are here, I open my house to you. Dance, drink and enjoy the party." Jaqen walked away, leaving the guys angry.

Sandor

He walked out of the locker room and saw Sansa standing waiting for him just like she said she would be. He felt a stirring in his lower extremity. She should not be allowed to wear that cheerleader uniform, ever. Her body looked too good to be true. Mouth wateringly good came to mind. He was better than a pin up girl he saw in an old magazine once. He cursed Joffery for making him be alone with her, dressed like that. All he wanted to do when he was alone with her was take her into the first secluded place that he could find and have his way with her.

"Let’s go." He barked.

She followed behind him to his car. He opened her door for her, she slid in, tugging his skirt down. Once she was in he went to the driver’s side, turned on the car and drove away. They drove to the party in silence but it was not uncomfortable. It took twenty minutes to get the Red Keep and the party was already in full swing. Sandor got out of the driver’s side and he went around to Sansa’s side of the car and opened the door for her. He offered her his hand to assist her out. She took it. Like with every time they touch he feels the electricity jump between them. She released his hand. But there was a smile on her lips. He smiled back down at her.

There were already people past the point of intoxication loitering around the grounds. Sandor led Sansa to the back of the house to the pool house where Joffery always had his parties. The music was pounding and loud. He went over to a barrel that was full of ice and grabbed a beer out of it. He would only drink one beer tonight. He couldn't get drunk tonight. He had to drive Sansa home. But he needed one drink to fight the urge to take Sansa away from the party.

Joffery was already on the verge of being way to drunk. He saw Sandor and Sansa behind him. He stumbled over, waving his arms and shouting for them.

"Sansa there you are. How the hell did you get here? Did you walk?" He stumbled over to her. He tried to kiss Sansa, but she ducked away from him and all he was able to do was give her a wet slobbery kiss on the cheek. Sandor saw a flicker of anger cross his eye.

"I had to wait for Sandor. Remember he was the one that drove me here." Sansa was talking slow, as if talking to a small child. Joffery was still having trouble understanding what she was saying. Somehow he latched on the only thing his mind deducted from what Sansa had said.

"Did you have a go with her Hound? Is that what took you so long? Have you been sniffing around my girl?" Jofferys voice was getting louder and they were starting to attract a crowd of on lookers. Joffery was getting into Sandoz’s personal space.

Sandor balled his hand into a fist. He did not want to punch the little worm in front of Sansa; but he would if the little shit didn't stop pushing him. He had been doing that all week. In the locker room after practice he would brag about how he was going to get into Sansa’s pants and that she was going to be the crowning jewel of his collection of sexual conquest. He had just been turned down by Margaery Tyrell the week before Sansa had arrived and he was just using Sansa to make Margery feel bad for not going with him. When Sandor heard that he wanted to use Jofferys face as a mop and wipe it all over the floor. He felt that way whenever he saw Sansa and Joffery together.

"Joffery are you serious?" Sansa said in an incredulous voice. Her anger was raising. "I would not do that. What do you take me for? And besides you never even asked me to be your girl, have you? Now stop making a scene and take me onto the dance floor." Sansa said stepping between the drunken fool and Sandor. Joffery chuckled and took her hand and she took him to the floor.

Sandor released his clenched fist from its death grip to a slightly relaxed fist. He tried to control his breathing. He tried not to let his eyes follow Sansa. He saw her turn and look at him. There was something about the way that she was looking at him made him want to go over to her and rip her away from Joffery.

"Sandor, why are you letting her go with him? Can't you see that she has a thing for you?" Margaery asked from next to him.

"She likes him. If she didn't why would she have come here to be with him?" He said in his sandpaper voice. What she was saying could not be true. Sansa did not like him. He had a hard time wrapping his head around this nugget of information.

"She is trying to use the user for some unknown reason. Myrcella told me and Arya told her. She doesn't really like him. Talk to her." Margery urged. "He doesn’t deserve her. You do. Do something about it."

"I talk to her everyday Margaery. Now leave me alone." He walked away into the crowd. He walked further away from Margaery and the things that she had said to him. He walked away until he was no longer surrounded by people. He found a tree and sat down to be alone. He liked being alone. He knew that this was his lot in life. He was going to be alone for the rest of his life so he just better get used to it.

He did not notice Sansa watching him as he sulked into the shadows. If he had, he would have seen the longing on her face.

Arya

She felt the tension swirl around her. She looked at the guys on all sides of her. Jaqen was looking at Gendry, Gendry was looking at Aegon, and Aegon was looking at Jaqen. Then they all looked at her. She did not understand what was going on. She turned and looked behind her at Myrcella. There was something going on with her best friend as well. There was too much drama for her and she felt like she was the center of it all.

"Jaqen can you point out where a guy can get a soda around here?" Thoros said from the back of the group.

"Come this way. The drinks are over here." Jaqen said. Thoros, Beric and Jaqen left the room for the kitchen.

Arya watched as they went into the party.

"Hot Pie lets go dance!" Arya said grabbing Hot Pies hand. She did not want to stand there in the awkward silence and testosterone filled atmosphere after their meeting with Jaqen.

Out of all he friends that she had made in Kings Landing Hot Pie was the one that she felt would explain things to her. They didn't end up on the dance floor, they ended up in the kitchen of the house where they could talk. Once the music started up again the room had emptied out fast. They were the only people there.

"If I asked you a question would you tell me the truth?" Arya asked.

"I will. But you might not like what I have to say." Hot Pie said. He was looking expectantly at her.

"What happened back there? I felt like Aegon, Jaqen and Gendry were going to take off their pants and compare sizes. And Myrcella looked hungry, angry and lost. I just don't get it Hot Pie. Please explain it to me. I feel like I am causing all this." Arya said.

She wanted to find a place in this new world, and she had thought she had done that when she had made the friends she had. The one thing she had not seen blowing up in her face was following her brother’s advice. She was acting like herself for the first time in her life. If she would have known she would have based on her personality she would have done it sooner.

But is all seemed to be back firing on her and she wanted to know why. So she had cornered Hot Pie and she would not leave until he told her what she wanted to know.

Hot Pie took a deep breath and just looked at her as if she was stupid as well as blind.

"You have no idea?" Hot Pie demanded. She just continued to look at him with large eyes. "You really don't. Well, I didn't think I would be the one to tell you this, but those three guys out there all have a thing for you. And your best friend likes Gendry. She has for years now." Hot Pie said all this like it was nothing new.

But to Arya it was. Arya just stood there unsure of what she was hearing. It was not possible. There was no way in hell that there was a guy out there that liked her, let alone three. What the hell.

She had a suspicion about Myrcella’s feelings for Gendry. But she had not known for sure. Now she was mad and angry on her friend’s behalf. Why was Gendry letting Myrcella be around him without telling Myrcella that he wasn't interested? That was so rude. But wasn't she doing the same thing with the three guys she just learned liked her?

But was she sure that she didn't like one of them, that way? She did like them, but as friends. But was that all? Could it become something more someday with one of them? She thought it might. They all had qualities she liked in a guy. The problem was how to choose which one she liked in a more then friendly way? This was just too much for her. She didn't want to think about any of this tonight.

It was her first party in Kings Landing, hell it was her first party. She was going to just enjoy the night. Fuck everyone and who liked her. She was going to enjoy herself for once. That meant having a drink.

"Let’s go get me a drink Hot Pie. I think I need a big one." She tugged him over to the assorted bottles on the counter.

"Okay." Hot Pie said, unsure of what he had asked. "What is your drink of choice?"

I really don’t know. I have never really drank before. I can make drinks, but never have had one." She blushed as Hot Pie looked over the mixers and the alcohol.

"Okay. I think that I might as well just get you a wine cooler. They are a great gateway drink." Hot Pie said as he walked over to the fridge. He took a bottle of pink liquid out, popped the top and handed it to her. She smelled it shrugged her shoulders and took a swig. It was fruity and tasted so good. If this is what liquor tasted like she was going to enjoy herself. Fuck men, friend’s lust and the strange complications on the South. Tonight was going to be fun. She downed her drink quickly.

"Hot Pie, be a dear and get me another." She said as she held out her empty and smiled at her friend.

　

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I ask this every time, but what do you all think? This chapter took a lot of editing, but I think I have polished it out some since the frist time that people saw this. Thanks for reading. Enjoy it all. More to come, soon I hope.


	9. Who Needs Romance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the previous chapter. I hope you all like it.

Bran

He got into the Reeds beat up old car that he highly suspected had been recalled in the 70's. The inside of the car was littered with books and food containers. Meera blushed and scooped some of the garbage out of the back seat for Bran to have a place to sit. He did not understand what Meera and Jojen meant when they said that Jojen could _see things_. Bran figured that Jojen made observations about human behavior and made the logical leap as to what they what was going to happen next. Bran did this sometimes. He made educated guesses and figured that is what Jojen did as well. There was no way his new friend could see the future.

They drove to some burger joint that had a 50's theme to it. They came into the restaurant and were shown to a booth. The waitresses wore roller skates and had the hair styles that Bran had only seen in pictures. They were handed laminated menus that only had food his mother and Mrs. Clark would consider junk food. After a quick round of Bran asking what was good here they were ready to order. They all ordered cheese burgers with everything on them, fries and milkshakes. As they were waiting for their food they sat in awkward silence. Bran hated this kind of silence. Either he was talking or reading. He never had to wait for people to talk around him. Others usually just spoke. The Reeds were not.

"So are you going to explain to me what you meant when you said you "saw" what was going to be happening with Tyrion and his comment at the game?" Bran asked, no longer able to deal with the silence.

The Reeds looked at one another. They seemed to be having a conversation with one another with out words. Some times he could do that with Arya but not offer. Mostly Jon and Arya were the ones in the family that did this. Is was interesting to note that these two siblings were so close they could communicate volumes without words.

"Part if what you are thinking is right Bran." Meera started. "Jojen does make logical conclusions based on what he sees around him in reality, but it is so much more then that . He really _sees_ what is going to happen. He dreams them, he has visions. If he concentrates he knows what is going to happen to others." She had just told him what he was thinking without him saying it to either of them. "We don't know why or how it happens. He has had his brain scannned since he was little to see if its a tumor or something, but they all show he has a normal brain. The school made Jojen get the tests. They also sent him to a psychiatrist and they prescribed him medicine. They only made the visions stronger." Meera placed her hands flat on the table top and forced Bran to keep eye contact with her. It was as if she was willing Bran to understand.

"I can understand that he observes things, I do that as well. Its deductive reasoning. I get that. But I do not believe in people having visions of the future. I am sorry. The only logical conclusion that I can make is that the medication that the psychiatrist have prescribed to Jojen are causing the so called visions or in reality he hallucinations vividly based on what he observes." Bran said. He looked right at Meera while he spoke. He did not want to look at Jojen. Bran didn't want to see how his words effected his friend, because he was calling him crazy.

"I wish that was the case Bran, but these things started happening long before I was placed on the medication. Honest Bran, this is the truth. I _see_ things." Jojen said softly looking down at the pattern on the table top.

"Alright." Bran decided to see how far they were willing to go with this farce. "I will test you. Say I believe you. Tell me something that is going to happen. Something that you have no possible idea of what is going on. If it does I will believe you." Bran said. He was skeptical, but he would give them a chance to prove themselves.

Jojen closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. His face was slack. "Who do you want me to _see_?" Jojens voice was low.

"Arya." Bran said the first name that came into his head. He chose her because she was always constant. She never did anything to unpredictable. She was his ace in the hole.

Jojen sat for a while with that strange look on his face. His eyes were opened, but they had a glazed quality to them. Then things got strange. His eyes started to dart around in his head. They were all over the place. Bran shifted uncomfortably in his seat. This was either a show, or they had been telling him the truth. He really was _seeing_ the future. Then Jojen spoke. His voice was low and strained. Bran scooted closer to hear what he was saying.

"She is at a party. She is drinking. There is a guy there, more then one who want her. She is being watched. She is watching others. She is angry and scared. Someone is angry with her. She will argue with someone. She runs into the backyard. More fighting. She is kissing someone. Her best friend finds her. The kiss stops and she is ashamed. She runs into the house and cries." Jojens eyes flicker opened. He is pale and looks like he is high.

Their food came and Bran doesn't know what to say to Jojen. Bran knows his sister. This sounds nothing like Arya. She never drinks. And she has never shown interest in guys. That was never going to happen. He watched as the Reeds sit there eating their food. They were acting like this was nothing new, like what Jojen just did normal. Have some kind of fit before them was nothing new. He picked up a French fry and took a bite thinking about what Jojen had said was going on with his sister some more. He knew that Myrcella liked that guy Gendry and that they were all together. Then he thought of the way that Aegon guy had been sniffing around her. Not to mention the two toned haired guy Robb had mentioned to him who was into their sister as well. If Robb got this information from Jon, than it came from Arya. Maybe this could happen. Things in the South were different for them all. Who knows what really could happen? But there was no way that Arya was drinking and kissing someone. That was just not her style.

"We will see what happens." Bran said. He shrugged and the Reeds looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Apparently he said the right thing and they relaxed. But he gad not and his reserve held things back.

They went back to eating. The mood was a little strained. The food was great, that was the best part of the whole evening. So far.

"So how about what we did in theater today? I like learning about fake slapping. It was therapeutic to get to smack my brother around a little and not get in trouble ." Meera said trying to lighten the mood.

It worked. Bran started laughing and they shifted into a comfortable conversation about normal things instead of the crazy ideas and harebrained thoughts of seeing thru future. Bran ended up telling them funny stories about his brothers. He had a lot of material, so they were able to laugh all night. Despite the weird _I can see the future_ thing, Bran had an amazing night. He felt closer to these new friends than he had to the people be had grown up with. He let his true self shine. He was able to be a know it all and the Reeds kept up with him. He had never had fries ds who could do that with him back home. Life South was not going to be dull, that is for sure.  

Arya

Arya was never a drinker, ever. She had seen how it made her brothers act like jackasses and she didn't want to act like one. But after what Hot Pie told her she decided to give it a try. She first tried a wine cooler and was a fan, so she downed it quick. Next she tried a beer and hated it. Thoros laughed for ten minutes after her first sip where she choked on it while trying to spit it out at the same time. Beric took pity on her and went and found her a fruity drink. It was better. She didn't even taste the alcohol in it. He called it a Screwdriver, which was right up her ally.

Her three admirers watched her drinking her drink's with unmasked unhappiness and disapproval. But fuck that. She had moved to the South to try new things. She was going to have fun for gods sake. Arya turned her attention to watching the three men who wanted her now in a way she had not before. She watched Myrcella flirt with Aegon right in front of Gendry and Gendry couldn't care less. He was to busy glowering at Jaqen. Jaqen was busy being charming with everyone around him to even care. Fine, if they were to busy to notice her she would just have fun. So that's what she did.

Arya was feeling her buzz from the wine cooler and the screwdriver that she had drank and sauntered over to Gendry. She was sick of his foul mood. She wanted everyone around her to be having as much fun as she was. And Gendry was the best bet of having more fun. So she took a chance and went to him.

"Hey there. Want to dance?" She bobbed around with a weird feeling of freedom inside her.

"Sure." Gendry said. He still scowled, but she was willing to try to get him to give one of her knee melting smiles he was good at giving her. It worked and her stomach summersaulted.

They walked out to the area that people were dancing and started to sway to the music together. She grinned her ass against him, and his hands were all over her body, but never touching anything that was inappropriate. He was a true gentleman. She liked the way they played with each other. She was now doing something she had never done before. She felt free and that had a lot to do with Gendry pressed against her.

"Have I told you that you are the sexiest piece of beef cake that I have ever seen?" Arya said touching his arm and running her hand up to his chest.

Gendry stood stalk still. He had completely stopped dancing. She kept moving to the music. Arya had never felt this kind of control over a person before. She was in complete control of his stone body. She saw Gendrys Adams apple bob convulsively as she moved her nails over his chest.

"Arya what are you doing?" Gendry asked. His voice sounded uncertain. She knew that he liked that she was giving him this attention. Hell, she liked giving into him. Out of the three guys Hot Pie had enlightened her to Gendry felt the best to true things with. Dancing was one of the ways she wanted to try and break out of her box. It was not like she was going to do anything with him. She was just feeling free for the first time.

"I am trying to enjoy the party." She purred.

Arya laughed and sauntered away and went to look for another one of the fruity drinks that she was enjoying so much. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Gendrys mouth was slightly opened. In the kitchen she found what she was looking for in the fridge. It was a wine cooler called Slippery Nipple. Sure, that sounded right up her ally. It was just touching her lips and the first drop was going down her throat when the bottle was taken from her mouth. 

"Arya this is enough." The bottle that she was holding was taken from her hand. "This is not okay. This is not you." Gendry was standing beside her. For the first time she saw the anger in his eyes. Some spark of her brain realized that she had fucked up.

She looked down and that was a mistake. It was her turn to swallow and she let her gaze spring back up to his eyes. But then her anger came up.

"How dare you take that away from me?" She lunged for the bottle.

"Tough shit Arya. You are done drinking." There was a finality in his voice that was beyond commanding. It was final.

"Like hell I am." Arya went for another bottle from the fridge. It was snatched out of her hand again.

"You are." He grabbed her arm and went over to the backdoor out of the kitchen so that they wouldn't make a scene. "Now you better tell me what the hell is going on with you. The Arya I know would not make a spectacle of herself like this."

"I just want to have a good time. I want to be young and stupid while I am young and stupid. And you don't know shit about me. I mean I have been here about a week. You know nothing." Arya snapped.

"Well snap the hell out of it. You are better then this Arya." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

She felt her body bounce and sway as he shook her. When he stopped she looked up into his eyes. He was not looking at her face; he was looking at her chest. In a surge of impulsivity she shot up her hand and grabbed his neck and pulled his down and kissed him. She had never kissed a guy the way that she was kissing Gendry. She used her whole body to kiss him. Her hands, lips, tongue even her teeth.

Gendry moaned softly in her mouth as they fought to see who was going to be in control of the kiss as it deepened. She let her hands slip under his shirt and his hands went from her shoulders down to her waist. Gendrys hands grazed her breasts on their way to her waist. Gendry let Arya take control to their kiss. She lost herself in the sensation of him. Every thrust of his tongue, every stroke of his hands one her, made her want more. And she give more.

Her hands traveled all over his back and she felt his muscles contract under her fingertips. Then right as she felt Gendrys hand travel back up her body on their way to her chest there was a slam from behind her. She broke from the kiss and spun around to see Myrcella standing in the doorway with Aegon beside her. Gendrys hands fell away from her, like she was fire itself. She stumbled away from Gendry and went to the house in a blind haze. She brushed past the two in the doorway. She was crying when she ran right into the chest of Jaqen. He grabbed her shoulders to steady her.

"Arya what is the matter?" He looked at the tears streaming down her face. He looked concerned and worried.

"I kissed Gendry and Myrcella and Aegon saw us. I think I just did something that she will never forgive me for. My best friend here and I betrayed her in a haze of drunken stupidity." She slid her hands around his waist and he held her to him.

"It is alright lovely girl. Myrcella will understand." Jaqen said to the top of her head. "Now I think you need some water. Come on.  Once we get some water into you let's go find your friends."

He wiped the tears from her face with a tenderness that made Arya look into his face. There was kindness there, but desire as well. Arya noticed that his eyes stayed on her swollen lips. Then he ever so softly ran a finger along them. She closed her eyes. His touch felt so good to her. When the warm presence was removed she opened her eyes to find herself alone in a hallway. She decided she did need that water, so she went and found some. Once she had water in her system, not just booze she went in search of Hot Pie. He would know what to do. Because she sure as hell didn't.

Sansa

As she let herself be led onto the dance floor she couldn't stop herself from looking behind her at Sandor. He stood there in a sea of people, an island unto himself. She couldn't stop looking at him when she had the opportunities to do so. She always found herself looking at him when ever she could. The worst times were when they both had their physical education class. They were on opposite sides of the gym, but her eyes always found him. His body was amazing. When he was lifting weights and without a shirt he reminded her of Perseus. He was the Greek myth brought to life. Even with his scars she was unable to tear her eyes from him. She had one embarrassing moment last week on the balance beam. She had been looking at Sandor and watching his body move when she lost her footing on the beam and fell off. She looked up and met his eyes. They were full of concern for her. Then she heard Joffery braying like an ass from where he was working out and her heart sank. Everyone had seen. But only Sandor's look had mattered to her.

She tore her eyes from Sandor and looked at Joffery. He was clinging and grabbing on to her in a possessive manner that made her want to slug the worm. He pulled her to him. Then he said in a very slobbery voice that he wanted to dance. He expected her to dance on him! The nerve. She was peeved to say the least. But she did what he had demanded. She had to keep him happy to get the crown. So she danced. She figured what the hell. The music was good and there was something in the atmosphere of the gathering that made her go with it. She hoped that Sandor was watching her. He couldn't help it, she was dancing for him.

When the song stopped Joffery said he wanted a drink so they left the dance floor and went over to the bar. He made himself a Jack and Coke and one for Sansa as well. While he was looking at his friend Sansa switched the drink for a normal cola and pretended to be drinking with him. She hated the taste of alcohol and wouldn't even try it for him.

"So Sansa, how do you like the party?" Joffery slurred.

"It is fantastic Joffery, I am greatly enjoying myself." Sansa lied.

In truth she was having a horrible time. She was not enjoying getting pawed on by a creep. But the looks that she was getting from the other girls were worth it. She knew that the girls around her wanted to be her. It was made even more apparent when Joffery gave her a present. It was a necklace.

"I want my girl to wear something as beautiful as she is. My mother thinks that this would look good on you." He said choking her trying to fasten it onto her neck.

"Thank you Joffery. This is magnificent." She said as he was finally able to fasten it and she was able to breathe again.

"Is this official enough for you?" He sneered. There was something frightening about the way he was looking at her. It made her want to run as fast and as far from him as she could. But she didn't.

"Yes Joffery. It is." She tried to kiss his cheek, but he tried to kiss her on the mouth and stick his tongue down her throat. She tactfully pushed him away and was grateful when Margery came and rescued her to dance with the girls. She jumped at the opportunity.

The rest of the party was full of Sansa being told to dance and Joffery drinking and groping her. Finally before midnight she saw Sandor for the first time since they had gotten to the party and parted ways. He looked like he was miserable. He walked over to where Joffery and a few of the other football players were sitting. He looked board. Sansa made the decision to leave as he sat down. At the end of the song she would go tell Joffery that she had to leave. She let herself get lost in the music for the last time. She imagined that she was not there dancing at Jofferys insistence; she was not dancing on a crowded dance floor. She was alone dancing for herself. She was swaying and her body was pulsating with the beat of the music. But she was kidding herself, she was dancing for Sandor.

When the song ended she opened her eyes and looked over to where Joffery was sitting. He looked like he was in need of female attention. She did not want to be the one to give him that attention. Then she looked over at Sandor behind him. He looked like he was sinking under a wave, and she hoped it was a wave of desire. She wanted to throw him a life boat. She walked over to them and smiled at Joffery.

"Joffery I think it is time that I get home. My curfew is almost up." Sansa said. She smiled at him and tried to look sad that she had to leave so early.

"Okay Sansa. But first I want a kiss. I deserve one after that necklace that I shelled out the money for." He grabbed her and roughly pulled her to him. He latched his mouth on hers and she felt revulsion shoot down her body. He clutched her to him as his tongue invaded her mouth. His hand crept to her ass and he was groping her.

The kiss didn't end soon enough for her. She wanted to wipe her mouth in disgust but held herself back. She smiled and acted like she enjoyed the kiss.

"Now get out of here girl. Don't want your father getting worried." He said giving her a pat on the ass.

"Alright Joffery." Her voice was meek. It was the way he wanted her, meek and helpless.

She looked at Sandor. He nodded his head and turned to walk away from the party. Sansa followed him to his car.

Sandor opened his passenger door for her and she slid into the seat.

"Do you really have to be home now or did you just say that to get away?" Sandor asked as he took his place behind the drivers seat.

"I don't have to be home until one. I just wanted to get out of here." Sansa admitted. "I don't know why but I find myself telling you the truth no matter what it is." She blushed and was thankful the car was dark.

She smiled at him. He gave her a lopsided smile in return. He started the car and turned it onto the road. He was not heading to her house, but away from the city and up into the hills.

"Where are we going?" Sansa asked.

"I have a feeling that you missed the stars. They won't be as bright as at your house up North, but they will shine for you." Sandor said. He knew her, really knew her. She had been missing the stars. Star gazing was her secret passion back home. Then she remembered an off hand comment she had made one day at lunch about missing stars. He had noticed it and remembered.

Her smile deepened and she sat in contentment as they drove away from the lights of the city into the country. This night was turning around for sure.

Myrcella

She had defiantly felt no greater thrill in her life as she had riding on the back of the motorcycle. There was something exhilarating and breath snatching exciting about it. She had held onto Aegons waist as they were zipping around to get to the house that the party was at. She might have even held on to tightly to Aegon. But the ride had been amazing. She had forgotten that she was supposed to be thinking a way to get Gendry to like her. She had forgotten that she was sad that she could see Gendry falling for her best friend. All she felt was the power of the bike underneath her and the strong solid man in her arms. For a moment she let her mind think it was Gendry that she was holding. But her bubble was busted when they stopped at a light.

"Do you like the ride so far?" Aegon asked. He had to yell over the roar of his bike.

"Yeah. I really am. This thing feels like there is a lot more power to it then you are letting it show. I really would like to see what this thing could do." Myrcella said speaking truthfully.

"We could do that. How about next weekend? I have nothing to do then. Except rehearsal with the guys. You can come to that to if you want." Aegon said. She didn't know if he was asking her out on a date or as a friend, so she just went with it.

"I would like that." Myrcella said as the light changed to green and off they sped off into the night.

They made it to the party. They pulled up first and she had no idea what to say next. She had just agreed to go out on a date with Aegon. Her mind was spinning. Did that mean she was giving up on Gendry? Before she could answer that question Arya and the guys pulled up and they all got out of the car. Thoros and Beric were joking and messing around on their way up to the door.

Myrcella tried to flirt with Aegon and he still seemed willing to receive her attention so she tried to keep it up to see how Gendry reacted.

"Aegon that was ssooo much fun. I really enjoyed it. Maybe you could teach me how to drive it someday." Myrcella said. She shot a look at Gendry as she said it. He didn't take the bate.

When they got there the door it was opened by a guy that Myrcella knew from the art class that Arya had. His name was Jaqen and he was very attractive, and very interested in Arya. Is there no guy in Kings Landing High School that didn't like Arya Stark!

"Hello lovely girl. I am very pleased that you could make it."

"Jaqen is this your party?" Arya asked. Myrcella was surprised to see how dumb her friend was acting. Did she not realize this guy liked her?

"It is. I just received word that our valiant Knights have just won their game." He shouted to the crowd in his house. There was a hoot and then most of the people in the living room rushed to the kitchen for shots. "And who are all these people that you have here with you?" Jaqen indicated to the group ringed around her once the volume level made it possible to talk without shouting.

"These are my friends. Myrcella, Hot Pie, Thoros, Beric, Aegon and Gendry." Arya introduced her friends.

Jaqen nodded his head at the names that were indicated. From the back of the group Myrcella could see the daggers the guys glares were throwing at Jaqen. Even the ones who didn't have designers on Arya were not pleased with Jaqen. Beric, trying to be a good guy was trying to defuse the situation. 

"Hey man, thanks for throwing this party. It lookers like it is going to rock. Too bad you didn’t want some really good live music. We would have played here. You have a great turn out." Beric said, walking forward, slightly pushing Arya behind him.

Well this was different. Myrcella thought. All the guys were protecting the Northern bumpkin.

"Alas I did not know you would be coming to my party. If I would have, I would have asked." Jaqen looked at the assembled men protecting him from Arya. "But since you are here, I open my house to you. Dance, drink and enjoy the party."

Myrcella watched as Jaqen, Aegon and Gendry all had a show down as to who was the top guy there using glares and body language. Aegon backed down first. He turned and looked at Myrcella. He had a slightly confused look on his face. It was if he was seeing her for the first time. She looked at him. There was something different between them after that bike ride. But she pushed that idea away. She liked Gendry, she wanted Gendry.

Once the pissing contest was over between Gendry and Jaqen she started looking around the party. Arya dragged Hot Pie away and Thoros went with Gendry. Beric was there laughing with Jaqen. They were laughing and smiling. Myrcella didn't know anyone else so she stuck by Aegon.

"Do you know anyone here?" She asked. She was nervous. She never had to deal with this feeling at a party at her house. If things got to be to weird she went to her room. Here she could not do that. So Aegon was her safety belt.

"A few, but I don't want to go say hi to them. Lets go see what is going on." Aegon said grabbing her hand and leading was her over to the hallway, deeper into the house.

They found a room that had a gaming system and big TV set up. There was no one in the room. Aegon decided to check out what was what, as he put it. He gave a small whistle.

"This is all pretty expensive stuff." Aegon said. He was hunched dow looking at the equipment practically drooling over it. Marcella had to smile. She was okay with being ignored by a hot guy for electronics. 

"I know what I like. Do you want to play?" Jaqen said from the doorway. Myrcella jumped at the sound of his voice. She was unaware that he had even been there.

"That would be really cool man." Aegon said. Myrcella watched as they played a racing game and Aegon won. They were laughing as they left the gaming room. Jaqen might be weird, but get him away from Arya he was pretty cool. 

When they got back to the main room they found Arya with a drink in her hand. Myrcella was shocked to see Arya drinking. She headed over to where the other guys were at and picked right back up flirting with Aegon in front of Gendry. She found that she enjoyed Argon's wit and the way that he flirted back. She was having a good time at the party. They were talking about games, something thanks to Tomen she knew a lot about. Then there was something different. Hot Pie and Thoros stopped talking. She turned over and looked at what was causing everyone to stop talking.

Arya was with Gendry and they seemed to be dancing. But it was more than dancing. They were moving together as if they were made for each other. She watched as Arya took a large swig of her drink. Then Arya laughed at something and walked away into the kitchen, Gendry followed. Myrcella did not like the look in Gendry's eye. She had seen it all her life on her father's face and then in Jofferys. It was the same look they got right before they hurt someone, either with words or their hands. She started to follow when she felt a hand on her arm. Aegon was holding her back.

"Let them go for the time being Myrcella. We can go see what is going on in a moment. Let them talk." Aegon said. He was calm and was trying to soothe her, as of he knew what she was feeling.

"He looked like he was going to slap her. I will not let that happen. It is not her fault; you can't let him hit her. I have seen the look on someone else's face before, right before things go bad. I will not let that happen to Arya." She struggled to break free of Aegon. He held her arm tight, but not to tight. Just enough to keep her back.

"Hold on Myrcella. Whatever he is feeling he won't do anything. All he wants to do is talk to her. He is really confused at the moment." Aegon said. "I don't really blame him. Arya Stark is a little unnerving. There is something about her. But don't you worry about Gendry. Myrcella is everything okay at your house?" He had picked up on the one thing she had been hiding for so long. Something no one bothered to ask about any more.

Myrcella blinked a few times and felt the tears prickle at her eyes. She had never been asked point blank about what happened at her house. She didn't know if she was supposed to talk about what goes on behind the closed doors of The Red Keep. Her father was a drinker and her mother was strict with her. They fought all the time and she knew that her father hit her mother when no one was around. Then there was Joffery. He was evil, just pure unadulterated evil. He hit her and Tommen, all the time. He caused them to think horrible things and feel that way too. But how could she tell this to Aegon?

"Well if you lived with Joffery how do you think life is like?" Myrcella said. The first tears softly fell from her eyes. She had not meant to say that. She knew she was going to be in trouble. No one ever believed her. Why tell this boy, now?

"Come on Myrcella, lets go to the bathroom." He led her to the one off the kitchen. He was gentle and kind. There was no judgment from him, just concern.

Aegon sat her down on the toilet and handed her some tissue for her eyes.

"Is it really that bad at your house Myrcella? You can talk to me you know." Aegon was leaning against the wall watching her.

"Some times. Joffery gets angry easily. I think Tommen and I are easy targets, well not as easy as the staff. But he does hit us sometimes." Myrcella confessed.

"I am so sorry Myrcella. Is there anything that I can do for you?" Aegon had knelt down so they were eye level and took her hands in his. She felt calmed by his touch.

Myrcella gave a smell sad smile.

"No it is alright. It doesn't happen as often as it used to. I have never told anyone about it before. I am just really thankful that you asked me. And you didn't laugh at me when I told you. Or tell me I was making it up. I tried to tell someone once. I was seven. It was a teacher. She laughed at me. After that I didn't tell anyone about him hitting me. It just feels better getting it off my chest." She looked deep into his eyes. They were the most amazing shade of lavender she had ever seen. He really was some one she had over looked.

She stood up and kissed his cheek. She watched as his cheeks turned red.

"Now that you are all calmed down do you want to go get a soda?" Aegon said. He was still blushing from her kiss and she was pleased by his reaction to her.

"Sure. Then can we go get some air outside?" She needed a deep breath of clean air to clean her head.

"Anything that you want I will try to give you, you will have it. Come on." Aegon took her hand again and they went out into the kitchen.

They grabbed themselves sodas and went out to the side door that lead to the backyard. As soon as she hit the screen door she took a deep breath with her eyes closed. Aegon took her hand and pulled her out further onto the porch. She opened her eyes and started to say thanks for all the help Aegon had given her. Then they both stopped. Arya was kissing Gendry. She was really kissing him and he was kissing her back. Aegon turned and looked at Myrcella and she looked at him. They had a moment of defeat; the people that they both liked were standing there in the moonlight making out. But for some odd reason Myrcella was not as heartbroken as she always figured that she would be.

Then Arya noticed them. She broke away from a shocked Gendry and ran to the screen door. Myrcella was shocked into immobility. She did not know what to do. Gendry had been the object of her desire for so long, but he had not shown her half as much attention to her as Aegon had in the last hour. She shot him a look. Aegon's face was a mask of cool indifference. He didn't show that he was sad or angry at having caught Arya and his best friend making out. So she decided if he could do it so could she.

"Well that was different. Now what?" Myrcella asked, looking to Aegon for direction.

"We move on. They were not the people we were meant to be with." He took a step closer to her and brushed her way ward hair away from her eyes.

"So does that mean moving on?" She asked stepping closer to him. The front of their bodies were touching now. She looked into his eyes and she knew then that Aegon had been the one for her the whole time. She just had been blinded by lust to notice it. She smiled at him, took his hand and took him in the house. They needed to check in with their friends and figure out how they were getting home. It was getting late and Myrcella didn't want to get in trouble.

Once they found their friends all she could ask was one question. "What now?"

Gendry

Gendry looked at the two people on the pourch and felt like he had a stone tied around his neck and had been thrown into a rushing river. He had been so angry that he had not been thinking. Arya was the only person who could make him loose his iron control he usually had over his temper. Watching that asshole Jaqen flirt with Arya had set him on edge. Watching her drink had pissed him off. Then when she was dancing with him she had not really understood the effect she had on him. He had a growing erection the entire time Arya had been pressed against him.

Wen she sauntered out of the room and he followed her he was ready for a fight. From what he had seen of Arya Stark she never backed down from a fight. When he took her outside he was ready for anything. Except for what had really happened. She had kissed him. And it was more than a kiss. It was pure magic. He was everything and nothing at the same time. 

He wanted to do so much. He wanted to feel their skin touching, naked together. Gods she had fit perfectly agnist him. Once the kiss got good and heavy everything stopped. Aegon and Myrcella were there, looks of horror on their faces. Arya reacted like she was scared. She bolted from him. Ran into the house. Gendry did not want to go in yet and face her or his friends yet, so he walked to a swing in a dark corner of the yard. That is where Jaqen found him. He was the last person Gendry wanted to talk to.

"What the fuck do you want?" Gendry did not try to hide his contempt.

"I am checking on you. It is my job as host to make sure all my guests are alright." Jaqen said as he leaned against the tree and took a cigarette from a pack in his pocket, offering one to Gendry.

"I don't smoke." He said, shaking his head at the offer. "What do you really want?"

"I wanted to warn you to stay away from Arya. She is something special and does not need the likes of you in her life." The tip of the smoke blazed to life and Jaqen took a long drag off of it.

"That's rich, I was going to tell you the same thing." Gendry gave a slight smile. "So I guess this is the part where we dual to the death."

"Something like that." Jaqen tossed his cigarette away and stood up straight. "But I would like to tell you to really stay away from her."

"Well," Gendry said, standing from the swing and turning to face the other man. "I have the same thing to say to you. Stay the hell away from her."

"That will not be happening. One way or another she will be mine. It is destined to happen. You are a nothing and a nobody. She needs a real man. I am that man." Jaqen had taken a step closer to Gendry and thanks to the girl they were discussion he was ready for a fight. His hands were close into fists and  he wanted nothing more than to punch the pretentious dick before him.

"Gendry! Come inside. Hot Pie is dancing and its a sight to be seen for sure." Thoros called out onto the yard.

"Well I guess we will have to finish this talk later. Your friends are calling you." Jaqen walked past him, bumping his shoulder into his. The impact staggered Gendry, but he fought to control his anger. There would be other days to fight.

"Before you go just remember if she picks one of us, its her choice. There is nothing that you or I can do, if she picks the other." Gendry said to the mans back.

"That's where you are wrong. If its not me I will not go quietly onto the night. So try and woo her, but know that no matter what you do, I will have her."

Gendry was left alone in the yard. He took a deep calming breath and prepared himself. Gendry was going to go I to that house, with his friends and the girl he was falling for and act like nothing had happened. He needed a drink, but he was the driver. Fuck, life was so complicated.     

Sandor

He drove to his families' property just outside of town, with Sansa sitting next to him. He did not know what had caused him to think Sansa wanted to see the stars. She had made a comment about stars last week and it stuck with him. Sandor gazed at stars all the time. He wanted to see something that calmed him down and made him happy. When he had been a child he had loved to lie on his back and gaze at the start. He used to make up his own constellations. Then as he grew older he learned the real ones. He knew that if people found out that he was an armature astronomer that he would be made fun of. He was taking a big chance sharing this with Sansa. He knew that she would appreciate it, so he was willing to chance it, for her.

They drove onto the back of his property and there were no trespassing signs hung up all over. Sansa looked nervous. He didn't know if it was because she was with him, in a place that was unknown to her or because it was late. Or maybe she didn't like breaking rules.

"Are we trespassing? Can't we get in trouble if we are caught?" She looked over at him worried.

He gave a soft chuckle. She really didn't like bending the rules. "No. We are not trespassing. My family owns this property. I come up here all the time and look at the stars. I used to do it when I was a kid with my mom."

He did not know why he had said that last bit about his mom. He never talked about her. But Sansa was not just anybody. He could tell her things.

"Oh well I am glad we won't be getting in trouble." Sansa said. She looked at him and Sandor had a very strong urge to take her hand. Not only was she attractive, but she was smart and her presence soothed the usual anger and discontent he always felt. Instead of wanting to destroy something he just wanted to hold someone. 

They drove through the trees until they were no longer under their cover. He stopped the car at the clearing that he gazed at the stars in. He got out of the car and went to open Sansas door and held his hand out to help her out. She kept her hand in his because the ground was uneven and she was unsure of her footing.

She stumbled and almost fell. Sandor caught her and she clung to him. Her hands were on his chest, her fingers splayed across his muscles. He took a deep breath and set her upright. She giggled and took his arm as they walked to where Sandor was leading them.

"Can you stay here Sansa? I will not be gone long. I just want to get the blanket out of my trunk so we can recline on it to see the stars." Sandor said. He always kept a blanket in his car. It was an old quilt. There was also a candle and matches, so he decided to grab that as well. He didn't want Sansa to trip again. 

"Sure, but hurry. I am not a fan of the dark." Sansa said. He smiled, she just told him she was afraid of the dark. Good thing he had the candle.

Sandor went to get the blanket from trunk, the candle tucked securely under his arm. He returned to Sansa and put the blanket down on the ground. He situated the candle safely on the ground and struck a match to light it. The light was soft and muted. Sansa looked down at the blanket and then at him.  Sansa sat down first looking up at Sandor expectantly. He sat beside her. They were now in an awkward silence. They had never had one before. He did not understand why. He was trying to remember if anything had changed during the week. Then he noticed shine from around Sansa's neck. It was a necklace. It had not been there before they had gone to Jofferys party. He knew what this meant. Joffery was marking his territory. She was now officially with Joffery. That was what was different. Well this was something he had been expecting. So he tried to get the strange feeling that hung over them.

"So are there any constellations that you want to see?" Sandor asked.

"Um I would love to see Perseus and Andromeda." Sansa said in a small voice.

"Are you a fan of their myth?" He asked as he leaned back to get a better view of the sky.

"Yes." Sansa said.

Sansa leaned completely back as well. Her head was resting very close to his. He could smell her hair. He was distracted with the idea of running his hands in her hair. Then he noticed the heat her body was giving off next to him. Then he noticed her shiver and realized that she was still in her cheer uniform and must be cold. He sat up and so did she. They looked at each other and he just silently took off his jacket and handed it to her then lay back down and got to the star gazing. She put it on and laid back down again, this time with her head resting on his left arm, so she could see what he was pointing out.

"Well that one there is Cassiopeia, Andromeda's mother. Over there is Perseus, and that is Andromeda." His hand flew from constellation to constellation. It did not take him that long to find them. They were some of his favorite ones to find because they had been his mothers.

"Um I do believe you but I do not see them." She said. She sounded angry at herself.

"Oh. I have an idea. My mom would do this with me to show me the constellations as a child. Sit up and slide over here." He sat up. Sansa did the same. He patted the ground right between his legs. She slid into the spot he indicated. He took her hand and she leaned against his chest to be able to see the sky at the right angle. He picked up her hand and traced the constellations for her. First Perseus, than Andromeda.

"Now I see them. Thank you Sandor. How about Pegasus? And Cetus. Where are they?" Sansa asked with a child like glee in her voice. She cuddled deeper into him, pulling him around her body, as if unconsciously. Sandor felt his cock twitch.

Sandor stayed looking at the sky. He was unsure for the first time in his memory where the constellations were. All he was aware of was Sansas body pressed against him. He could feel himself growing with need. He knew that if she stayed there it would be in an even more uncomfortable position for him then it already was. But he didn't want it to end.

He cleared his voice and looked up at the stars and tried to clear his mind. He needed to find the constellations for Sansa. He closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. He put his face back next hers and they looked up at the stars. Then he pointed the designs out for her. It amazed him that his scared face was pressed to her perfect one and she didn't move, she didn't mind. He pointed out Pegasus and then Cletus for her. Her excitement was growing with each wave of their joined hands. She fired off more and more constellations  to find and with each one he showed the more she relaxed until he was pressed snuggle against him, as if she was made for him.

"They are so beautiful. I have always wanted to learn these constellations. I have always loved the story. I truly have. About love over coming all odds. There is something about it that has always resonated with me. I always felt bad for Andromeda when she was chained to the rock because of her mother. Some times I can relate with her. Having a domineering  mother is not an easy thing." Sansa said. He detected a bitterness in her voice he had never heard before.

"I have always liked how Perseus saved her. It was something that I have always liked about it. When I was small and my sister was alive, we would act out their story. But it was usually my father in the place of the evil parent. I would save my sister and she would thank me with lemon cakes she and my mother would make. Those are some of my best memories." Sandor said. Again he told her things he never had told another living soul. They just sat together for a moment after his confession.

"What time is it? I have to be home by one. When we left the party it had just turned midnight." Sansa said with shock.

"Late. We should be going then." Sandor and Sansa got up from the ground, gathered the blanket and left the candle because it had burned out and then walked to the car. She held onto his arm and they got back into the car and drove her home. Sandor smiled, the night had become something that he would always remember. He had shown the girl of his dreams the stars, and she became his world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have edited the crap out of this one. And by edit I mean add to it. I added about 1000 words.  
> Keep reading and let me know what you think. A review would be nice. First person to give me a review gets a Lemmon cake!


	10. The Right Kind Of Shopping

Gendry

What the hell had he been thinking? He had let Arya kiss him. He had kissed her and had wanted more. What in the name of all the gods in the world was he thinking, going after her like that? He wanted to make her stop drinking, to make her see what she had been doing was not her. But once they got outside he had seen how wild and untamable she was. And when he shook her, the way her body had moved had mesmerized him. All he had wanted to do was open the tight black sweater she was wearing and burry his face in the mounds of her chest. He had felt a little foolish letting her be the one that initiated the kiss, and how she had taken control of the kiss. But it had felt so god dammed good. He had not waned it to end. 

Then it had all been stopped before things had gotten to out of control. Seeing Myrcella and Aegon standing at the back door pulled him back down to earth. Arya had run into the house. The remaining three just stood there looking at each other. Aegon wouldn't meet his eye and Myrcella looked confused. But the things that he did not notice in their faces were anger, hurt and sadness. He had expected to see those emotions in their eyes. The lack of them was something that he did not understand. They almost looked relieved. Once they went inside he took some time to cool off.

Then the most bizarre conversation of  his life took place. Jaqen had warned him to stay away from Arya. It was in that moment that Gendry had decided to keep Arya closer than before. He would try to get into her life in any way that he could, even if that meant staying in the fries d zone. It was more than desire now, it was a competition, and Gendry never backed down once a challenge was raised. Jaqen had sure as hell raised a challenge. There was a reason he was called the Bull. 

Half an hour after the incident Arya had found him and the rest of the group. They had been standing around in the center of the room and were laughing and joking. Arya had been hiding from the rest of the group from the moment they kissed. Myrcella was quiet and standing next to Aegon. They kept stealing glances at each other. He noticed that whenever he was looking at them looking at each other they stopped looking at each other. There was something going on there he was sure he would have noticed if he was not hyperaware of Arya.

Arya was silent as she stood with them and they were tense. At eleven thirty they decided that they were all partied out. Aegon hopped on his bike and said that he would talk to him late. Arya climbed into the back seat of his car. Myrcella went next. Hot Pie tried to squeeze into the back seat too but he wouldn't fit. He laughed and traded spots with Beric. The other three got into the car and they went home. He let the guys got out at Hot Pies house, and then he drove the girl's home. He wanted to say something to Arya, but he did not want to do that until they had a chance to be alone. Marcella was still shooting glances between the two of them, so he couldn't really talk to her. Once they were out of the car he felt relieved, but empty. Then he went home. That was the only thing he could do. He parked his car in the garage and hopped out. He walked into the house and went to his room. As he had sat down on the bed his phone chimed.

_So you kissed her? - Hot Pie_

_Yeah - Gendry_

He tried to not smirk about it but he couldn't seem to stop. It was one hell of a kiss.

_So what was it like? That was from Beric by the way. I wouldn't have asked you that. – Hot Pie_

_Short, it was to short. – Gendry_

The texts stopped after that. He sat on his bed thinking. Then there was another chime on his phone.

_Gendry I have a problem. I think I asked Myrcella Baratheon out. – Aegon_

_That is a problem? – Gendry_

_Yeah. She has a thing for you, always has. I don't get it. –Aegon_

_Are you mad at me? - Gendry_

_For what getting kissed by Arya? Dude I am happy that it was you not that weird guy Jaqen. And if things pan out with Myrcella I don't really care. – Aegon_

_So what are you and Myrcella going to be doing? Was it a real date or what? –Gendry_

_We have plans after rehearsal next Saturday to go for a drive. –Aegon_

_That should fun. –Gendry_

_I hope so. She told me some stuff tonight, man it was messed up. –Aegon_

_Everyone is messed up Aegon, even princesses. They get even more fucked up then the rest of us. – Gendry_

_Yeah you are probably right. –Aegon_

_Dude I need to get to bed its on one in the morning. –Gendry_

_Shit I didn't even realize the time. Yeah I got to go too. – Aegon_

Well if Myrcella was gone and out of the picture and Aegon was out of the running for Aryas attention then it should be smooth sailing. Arya kissed him right? But then again she had been drinking and if the few drinks she had consumed could mess that much with her then she was the textbook definition a light weight. Gendry was not one for taking advantage of a situation and didn't want this one to bite him in the ass.

But something that Aegon said was bugging him. Jaqen was the problem. And Arya sure did light up when she saw the guy. But what did that mean? Did she like him or that Jaqen? He knew enough about Arya to know not to ask her point blank, she would either hit him, ignore him or be way to honest for his liking. He would just have to let time play out until she knew what she wanted to do. But he was not going to make it easy on her. He was going to woo her and make r fall for him, that was his plan and he was sticking to it.

Be went to bed that night thinking of ways for them to spend more time together. Before he fell asleep he fantasized about them changing a rigs oil and getting all dirty and having to strip down to nothing. He fell asleep with a full erection. It was not the first time that had happened since Arya walked into his life and he was sure it would not be the last.

Jaqen

When everyone had left the party, or as most of his guests would flame be threw them out, he went to his studio. He got a new canvas out and put it on his easel and prepared his paints. He just stayed looking at the blank canvas for what felt like hours. Then he started to work. He painted blending the colors. Blues, greens, purples, greys, browns and black. He painted a clearing in the woods with a lone wolf. She was howling up at the moon. He knew why he had painted this wolf that night. It was because of her, the lovely girl.

Since he had first set eyes on Arya Stark he had felt the whole world shift. That small girl was something that could not be ignored. Her beauty was incredible, her brain magnificent, and her talent was beyond words. She was every guys dream. Jaqen knew that she was his.

He cleaned his brushes and stood back to look at his work. It was like the others that he had done before. He had painted Arya many times in the last week and he would paint many more to come. She was his muse and his curse. She might not always be human, but her but he captured her spirit on his canvas.

Jaqen walked out of the studio and went onto the kitchen. What was he going to do about the enigmatic girl? He wanted to get close to her, but that bull headed Gendry was in his way. What she ever saw in him Jaqen did not know, but if he wanted a fight he would give him one. Had be not declared himself that vary night? He would go for her, no matter what that Bull had to say. He had felt the way she had tremble when he had touched her. He had to fight every instinct not to kiss her there in the hallway.

He knew he had to move slow, take his time, and show her what he was like. That was the only thing that he could do. Jaqen was confidant that if he did that she would be his. Nothing he had ever wanted had ever gotten away from him, and Arya Stark was not going to be the first thing to get away. No matter what it took, or how long he would have her. There was no doubt about that.

Sansa

She had had an amazing time with Sandor after the party. She couldn't believe that the large rough man like Sandor had such a wide knowledge of stars. If Sansa could have picked a first date the night with Sandor would have been it. But Sandor wasn't her date or her boyfriend, just her friend. Sansa was so glad she had made a real friend in Kings Landing. She didn't even feel bad when she had come home ten minutes after curfew. Her father had not been pleased, but had let her off the hook because it was her first time ever being late. He had asked her who she was with and when she told him it was Sandor he had looked confused.

"Aren't you dating Joffery Baratheon?" Ned asked confusion all over his face.

"Yes. But he had had something to drink at the party and it was not safe for him to drive me home. Sandor said he would drop me on the way to his house. So that's what we did." Sansa shrugged and slimed as she said it. Ned just looked at his daughter. She knew she looked like a fool with a huge smile and her uniform on still, but nothing was going to rain on her happiness. Her father shook his head and seemed to decide something.

"If you had your own car you wouldn't have been late. Tomorrow we are going to go car shopping. I know that you like to shop." Ned said. He gave a small smile, but still looked confused.

"Truly daddy? I am getting my own car? A new one?" She asked amazed. She had been asking him for a car since she learned to drive.

"Yes Sansa. And if your mother asks you were home ten minutes early. We both know how she worries." Ned gave her a hug and ushered her up to her bedroom.

Sansa walked up the stairs to her room. She noticed that Aryas bedroom light was on and she walked over to see what her sister was doing awake at this hour.

"Myrcella I don't know what came over me tonight. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way. I was not thinking." Aryas voice was muffled and hard to hear. Sansa suspected that Arya had flung a pillow over her head.

"It is alright Arya really. I have been trying to get Gendrys attention for over a year now and he never went for me. If you two like each other I don't mind really." Myrcellas soft voice floated to Sansa.

Sansa decided at that moment to knock on the door. Arya called her into the room and she saw the two other girls sitting on Aryas bed in their PJ's.

"What is going on?" Sansa asked as she came in.

"Not much. Hey you were home past curfew. Are you in trouble?" Arya asked. Arya always liked to gloat on the few times Sansa cad gotten in trouble. Sansa shook her head and smiled at her sister. It was her turn to gloat.

"No. Dad is taking me out to get a new car tomorrow. So I wont have to depend on others to get me home and being late again. But if mom finds out I will be in deep trouble." Sansa said laughing as she sat down on the floor by the bed.

"Why are you back so late? Were you at the party at my house this whole time with my brother?" Myrcella asked.

Sansa looked at her hands that were resting on the bed. She felt her cheeks color and she gave a soft smile remembering what happened with Sandor and the stars.

"Um well, no. I went for a drive with Sandor Clegane. He was nice enough to bring me home." Sansa would not look up at Arya and Myrcella when she said it.

"You like him don't you?" Arya asked. Sansa looked at her sister. She had a boyfriend. You can't like more then one person at a time. She was just about to say this, but Marcella spoke first.

"You should talk Arya." Myrcella laughed, she looked down at Sansa and dropped a bomb. "Your sister likes two guys and there is a third one that kind of likes her to. And she kissed one of them and had an intimate moment with another one."

Sansa was shocked to hear that her sister had kissed a guy. Her baby sister had kissed someone and had not told her about it first thing?

"Who was it?" Sansa asked. She was sitting up higher so she could see her sisters face that had turned near purple in embarrassment.

"Gendry. We went to a party at this guy Jaqens house. He likes Arya too." Myrcella said. "But she doesn't know who she likes more. And from what I saw of that kiss tonight I say her body likes Gendry, maybe a little to much."

Arya flung the pillow over her head and fell back on the bed and groaned loudly. Sansa did the sisterly thing and tried to turn the attention to her.

"Well I was kissed by Joffery. He also gave me this necklace. I guess I am dating him now."

Myrcella looked at Sansa as if she was stupid.

"Sansa are you sure you want to be dating him? You don't really even know him." Myrcella blurted out. She looked away and Sansa thought there was more the other girl wanted to say, but didn't.

"I already said that I would be his girlfriend. He hasn't done anything to me yet that makes me think that he is anything but a gentleman." Sansas tone was defensive and the other girls let the matter go. "Well I am off to bed. I have a car to buy tomorrow."

Sansa went to her room and fell to sleep. She woke the next morning early like she did every day, but because it was the weekend she allowed herself to sleep until eight. She went and showered and got dressed for the day. She had to admit that one of the nice things about living in the South was that even though it was winter time here she didn't have to bundle up under so many layers that completely hid her figure. She slipped on a nice pair of fitted jeans, a white tank top and a red cardigan sweater. Her hair she left down, but popped a head band on to keep her bangs out of her face. Then she snagged a pair of white flats with little red bows on them. She headed down to the kitchen for breakfast and found the faithful Mrs. Clarkson there cooking up a storm.

"Morning Mrs. Clark. What is that wonderful smell?" Sansa asked.

"French toast. Let me make you up a plate." Her found face was flushed and the smile she gave off was contagious.

Mrs. Clark set the dish in front of Sansa and a cup of coffee with cream and sugar in it. Sansa looked up at Mrs. Clark.

"I know that you don't like coffee, but you were out late last night and you will need this to get the day started. Are you going to tell me what happened last night and what is bothering you or you going to suffer in silence until you burst?" Mrs. Clark asked. She gave her a kind, but penetrating stare.

Ever since Sansa was a child she had always came to Mrs. Clark for advice. She never judged Sansa and would always tell her the truth. She shared things with her that she could never dream of telling anyone in her family and she trusted her completely.

"I went to a party. Joffery was throwing it for winning the game. He sort of demanded that I be his girlfriend and he gave me this expensive necklace. I felt obligated to say yes. And I should have been happy about becoming his girlfriend. I mean he is handsome, wealthy, popular, everything that a girl would want. But there is something about him, something under the surface that is not okay. I can't put my finger on it, but whatever it is it is not good." Sansa told Mrs. Clark her suspicions of how he threatened Arya and that she had seen him belittle the younger students at the school.

"Well dearie if you do not think he is stable you should not be with him. There is someone right out there for you. But I don't think that he was the reason that you were home so late. Out with it, time to spill it for the cook." Mrs. Clark said tapping the coffee mug that she had that said that exact sentence.

"I was with a friend. The first one I made when we moved here. His name is Sandor. He is Jofferys best friend. Or that's what everyone says they are. But I don't think so. Joffery just uses Sandor and he sticks around him for reasons I cannot understand. We left the party about an hour before I was supposed to be home. He sort of took me star gazing. If it had not been for Joffery it would have been a perfect night." Sansa was gazing out the window as if she could still see the constellations from the night before.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you like this boy, a lot as well. If that is the case why are you with his friend and not him?" Mrs. Clark asked.

Sansa had been asking herself this question since he dropped her off last night. She sat there remembering what had happened right before she had ran into the house last night. Sandor had come arund to her side of the car and let her out, walked her to the door of the house and started to leave. On impulse she called him back to her.

"Could I have your phone number? I might need some help for chemistry and you did say that you would help me catch up." Sansa knew that this was a lie so she could just get his number. If she truly needed help she would ask Robb to help her out. She just wanted his number so she could have it.

He nodded his head and took her phone and programed his number into it. She had been thinking about it all night and morning. Did she really like him? If she did what was she going to do? She was dating Joffery now.

"Joffery will help me get to be Queen. You know why I want that. I just don't see any other way." Sansa hung her head.

Mrs. Clark put her hand on Sansas shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze.

"Well if this is the path that you have set to follow I hope that you are ready for what lay ahead. It sounds like it might be a difficult one." Mrs. Clark said with a sad smile on her face.

Just then Catelyn walked into the kitchen with Arya and Myrcella beside her. Arya looked cranky but Myrcella looked wide awake.

"Can I have some coffee?" Arya asked grumbling as she sat down in a chair at the bar.

"Sure thing dear. Cream and sugar?" Mrs. Clark asked pretending as if she and Sansa had not been having heart to heart chat moments before.

"Both. I need the energy. Myrcella woke up at an ungodly hour on a weekend." Arya grumbled.

"It is nine o'clock. Hardly ungodly. And you were the one who said that you wanted to get up early so that you could go with Sansa car shopping. You wanted to make sure she didn't get a lemon, whatever that is." Myrcella said from beside the snappy Arya.

"I know what I said. I just wish that my body understood." Arya lay her head down on the table and cradled the coffee in her hand.

Sansa laughed. It was just like Arya to want to go shopping for cars. She went back to eating her breakfast. She had a lot to think about, a lot to digest, and she didn't mean the food.

Arya

Myrcella had woke up at eight and had started practicing her dance moves. When Arya chucked a pillow at her she had caught it and used it to do some complicated spin thing.

"Cut it out. I'm trying to sleep." Arya growled.

"And I am trying to practice. I have a recital in two weeks. You will be seeing me doing a lot of this until then." Myrcella retorted, continuing to twirl, leap and stretch.

Arya had slugged out of bed and walked to the bathroom. She took a shower. She felt like shit. Those drinks had left her hung over. She was never drinking again. It made her do stupid things, like kiss Gendry. She should not have done that sober. It gave him hope and hope to a guy that liked you was bad. But she still had a problem. There were three guys that liked her and she was not sure if she liked them. Well that was not true. She could take Aegon off the list, he was just a friend. But that didn't make things easy for her. Things were so much easier up North.

After her shower she did her hair into a pony tail and she knew that her mother would not like it. The purple on the bottom layer of her hair was visible. She tried to wear it down around her mother but today she didn't care. She had a splitting headache, felt like shit and was more confused then she had ever been in her entire life. Her mother was just going to have to get over herself.

She went to her room and found Myrcella already dressed and waiting to go get breakfast. She went to brush her teeth and Arya got dressed. She choose comfy clothes that day, like what she used to wear at Winterfell. Except the pants were a little more fitted and hugged her butt. She picked one of the tee shirts that Jon had gotten for her when he went away to college. She liked showing off her body now and tied a knot in the back so that it was not as loose as it usually was.

She went out of the bedroom and waited for Myrcella to come out of the bathroom. They made their way down to the kitchen. They ran into Catelyn in the hallway.

"Good morning girls. Mrs. Clark is making French toast for breakfast. Are you going to the kitchen?" Catelyn was trying very hard not to make a comment about her daughters hair and start another fight.

"We are mother. Are you going to be going with Sansa to get her new car today, or is it just father?" Arya asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Just your father. Rickon wants to see if they have hockey here." Catelyn said as they got to the door to the kitchen.

Arya asked for coffee and tried to get a few moments sleep at the table. Myrcella and Sansa had a discussion about what kind of a car that Sansa wanted. For some crazy reason Sansa wanted a Mini Cooper. Red, the color of her nails, if it was possible. When Arya heard this she choked on her coffee. Sansa was such a girl to want her car to match her stupid nail polish.

The door to the kitchen opened and Rickon came in with their father. Ned looked as tired as Arya. He sat down at the table and picked up his newspaper and took his cup of coffee from Mrs. Clark. He didn't look at anyone at the table and Arya had an idea that he had slept less then she had. Rickon went and sat at the island on one of the stools next to Sansa and they started talking about hockey.

"Father, can I come with you and Sansa to look for a car for her?" Arya asked her father moving over to her father the table.

He looked up from over his paper and gazed at her with red sleep deprived eyes.

"What? Oh yeah, that's right I told Sansa that I would take her to find a car today. Sure Arya why not. I am sure you could be more of a help to her then me. Why don't we leave in the next half an hour or so? I have to get into the office today. Something happened last night. I hope Sansa knows what she wants. I don't have all day to be out."

"She has an idea. A really stupid one." Arya grumbled.

"Don't make fun of your sister. She doesn't make fun of you." Ned scolded.

"She does, just when she knows that you are not around to hear. But that's what family does. It's our right to tease each other." Arya smiled at her father as she said this and then took her cup and went for a refill.

She was on her second cup when her father stood up from his chair and went over to Sansa. They had a small chat then she went out of the kitchen. Her father went and talked to her mother. They talked and then Catelyn walked away from the kitchen with Rickon. Myrcella and Arya stayed in the kitchen with Mrs. Clark and Ned. When Sansa came back they all left the kitchen and went out to the car.

"Do you want to come along Myrcella or do you want to go home?" Ned asked Myrcella as they were on their way out of the drive way.

"Can I come with you? I won't get in the way and I am sure I can help keep Arya away from every fast car that she sees and from trying to get Sansa to get them." Myrcella answered, looking at Aryas face as she said it.

"Hey I wouldn't do that. I would pester my dad to get them for me. Sansa wouldn't know what to do with a good car if it bit her on the ass." She smirked at her sister and stuck her tongue out at her. 

"Arya that is not something that a young lady should say. Maybe you shouldn't be in shop class after all." Ned said, looking in the review mirror to see his daughter in the back seat.

"Sorry dad. I will try to talk like a lady around you from now on." Arya said. She knew her dad was joking, so she went along with it. She settled back to get to the car lot and do some shopping she could enjoy.

Myrcella

She had never seen how a normal family interacted and was fascinated in how the Starks acted with each other. There was a playful feel to the house. The Stark parents were loving and openly affectionate with their kids. They laughed with them and went out of their way to let each child feel loved. She didn't know what that was like or how Catelyn and Eddard did it. They had five children living with them and three up North. Her parents only had three kids, and they did not show an ounce of the affection and attention that the Starks showed their children.

Part of her wanted to stay with the Starks forever. Maybe they could adopt her. She knew that they had adopted Theon Grayjoy when his parents died and that they had adopted Eddards sisters son when she had died. She knew that it was not possible but she hoped that they could adopt her.

She loved the way that Arya and Sansa teased each other, but obviously loved each other. She wished that she had that with her brothers. Maybe if they had been raised in an atmosphere like the Starks she and her brothers might have had what the Stark kids had together. But she doubted it. Joffery would never be nice to her or Tommen. She hoped that there was a chance that Tommen would be different and not cruel like her older brother. After watching how the Starks acted together she vowed to not let her parents or brother beat that sweet loving part of Tommen out of him. Her mother said that she was a lioness protecting her cubs from the world, but her mother had not seen what Myrcella would do to protect her baby brother.

Ned pulled the car into the dealership. They piled out and a sales man came oiling over to them to schmooze them and dazzle them into a new car. Sansa told the man what she wanted and Arya scoffed and snorted the entire time. Sansa looked over at Myrcella and she took Arya away so that Sansa could look for her first car in peace.

"Let's go out and look at the cars on the lot Arya. I am sure that it will be more fun then sitting in here with the sales guy and your dad." Myrcella said pulling Arya out of the lobby and out into the lot.

Arya was like a kid in a candy shop. Every car that she saw was amazing. Myrcella couldn't help but laugh. If you looked at her Arya would be the last person you would expect to know anything about cars, but she was a walking encyclopedia of facts about cars. She figured this might be one topic that Bran knew less then Arya. They walked around for an hour looking at the cars as Sansa and Ned talked to the car guy. Then they walked out to where they were.

"They say that they have the car that I want here on the lot. They have the exact one that I want!" Sansa squealed skipping to where Myrcella and her sister were standing. She grabbed their hands and started to jump around. "They are bringing it around to let me test drive it and if I like it daddy says that I can have it."

"That is cool Sansa. I am surprised that you knew what you wanted. Even if it was just for looks more then anything else." Arya said dancing with her sister. Sansas excitement was contagious.

"Miss Stark the car is here. If you would come over here we could start the test drive." The sales man said, indicating to a two door Mini Cooper, red like Sansas nails.

Myrcella smiles as she watched how happy Sansa looked. Ned looked dubious at whether he would fit in the car. After a very comical moment of Ned trying to get in the car he finally shook his head and said that there was no way that he could fit in the backseat. The sales guy got into the backseat and Ned took the front passenger. Sansa slid into the driver's seat and they were off.

"So, I didn't get to tell you last night because you were in self-denial, but I think that I said yes to a date with Aegon next Saturday." Myrcella said while she kicked a rock as they walked around the lot.

"What! Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" Arya shrieked.

"You were so confused and guilty last night that I didn't get around to telling you." Myrcella mumbled.

"Well you could have told me that. It would have helped me stop mopping." Arya said.

"I am telling you now. But I don't know if it is that good of an idea. I mean I still have a small thing on Gendry. That is not going to go away overnight." Myrcella confessed.

"I still feel bad for kissing him. I should not have done that. I knew that you liked him and I kissed him anyway. I am a bad friend. I am surprised that you are talking to me." Arya said.

"Look Arya like I said last night I have been trying to get Gendry to notice me for more then a year, so I know that he isn't into me. He likes you; a blind person can see that. So what are you going to do? I know that I am going to go out on a date with Aegon, so that might be one less guy chasing you. That just leaves Jaqen and Gendry. So the big question is which one are you going to pick?" Myrcella asked.

"I don't know Myrcella. I don't know either of them well enough. We haven't been here to long. And I do not feel comfortable just dating some guy. I want to get to know them first." Arya said, sounding sincere as she said it.

"So you get to know them and then pick. That sounds like a plausible thing to do." Myrcella said nodding her head. "But how long are you going to take before you decide?"

"I do not know. I want to make the right choice. I have never had a boyfriend before." Arya admitted.

"Seriously? That is, um, really? As in seriously?" Myrcella was shocked.

"Really Myrcella. I was not popular back home. That was Sansa. She has always been the go getter in the family. But she has never had a serious boyfriend either." Arya said.

Myrcellas stomach turned. If that was true it would explain why Sansa would blindly date Joffery. She had to try and get Sansa away from Joffery. To do this she would need help. She remembered that Sansa had blushed when she admitted to being with Sandor Clegane. Maybe he was the answer to the question. But for the time being she had to let Sansa do what she was doing and she just hoped that she was smart enough not to get hurt to badly.

The red Mini Cooper pulled back onto the lot and Sansa stopped the car and hopped out. The smile on her face was huge and she looked like she was in love with it.

"It looks like Sansa is getting her car today." Myrcella told Arya. But when she looked over at Arya she was on her phone, her thumbs flying over the keys. Myrcella pinched Aryas arm to get her attention.

"Ouch. What the hell was that for Myrcella?" Arya yelled.

"They are back. Who the heck are you talking to?" Myrcella demanded.

"Jon. I am getting his take on what happed last night. Right now he is reading me the riot act for drinking. But he is such a hypocrite; he drank all the time at my age when he went to parties. But he has always given me good advice and I trust what he thinks." Arya said.

"Oh. Well I think that we should go see what your sister is doing now. She looks like she is walking on a cloud right now." Myrcella giggled looking at Sansa as she danced around her father and her new car.

Today had been fun. Myrcella didn't want to go home. They stayed on the lot and Sansa signed the papers and she got her car. Then it was time to go home. Back to the Red Keep and the evils that lived there.


	11. Sardines

Sansa

She couldn't stop looking at her car. She had put up a dozen pictures of her it on her Facebook page and had asked her friends to help find it a nickname for it. She got quite a few suggestions as to what to name her car but none seemed right. They were all suggestive and she did not want to have a sexual connotation to the name of her car so she ignored most of them. There were suggestions like 'popped cherry', 'fire cracker', 'red rocket' and many other horrible names.The worst one was from Joffery. He said that she should call her new pride and joy Sansa's Bush, because if she was a natural red head her and her car should completely match, upstairs and down. She had not known what to say. Her boyfriend was a creep. She wanted to sock the creep.

She woke up on Monday fully intending to tell Joffery off when she saw him. She even had a little speech ready and everything about if he wanted to keep her as his girlfriend he had to tone the vulgarity down. She was going to use the word vulgarity but figured Joffery wouldn't understand what it meant. She had dressed a pair of high waist shorts that were a sea foam green and a coral colored scoop neck tee. She loved that it was autumn and she was able to go around in shorts and a tee shirt with a light cardigan as a cover and wedge candles not snow boots.

After a quick breakfast she ran outside to try to clean the already spotless car. Sansa took some more pictures and just sat there waiting for school so she could drive. She loved driving the car. Sansa now understood what Arya was always going on about when she talked about cars. Her sister once said when you find the right car its like finding your soul mate, something just clickers. Sansa sure felt that way about her baby.

She drove her car to school Monday with Bran and Arya arguing the entire way there. Sansa would have drove the long way to school but there was only so much she could stand of her siblings bitching. She parked her car in what she felt was a safe place so that nothing would happen to it. There was no one around her. Arya complained that they were so far from the door and that she had to walk but Sansa didn't care. No cars around meant no dings, bumps or scratches to her car. She got out of the car and she saw Sandor getting out of his three lines over. She smiled and waved to him. He nodded his head and walked to the school.

It confused her that he didn't even wave, just nodded his head and rushed into school. She felt like there was something wrong and resolved that she would ask him. Sansa got her book bag and went into the building. She went to her locker and pulled out her chem book. When she closed her locker door Joffery was standing beside her with a rose in his hand.

"This is for you, beautiful girl. Do you want escort to walk you to class?" Joffery said. He handed her the rose and held out his arm for her.

Sansa smiled brightly as she took his arm. "I would love to have you walk me to class." Sansa said. She was going to start her lecture but Joff didn't close his mouth as he talked about himself the entire way she was unable to say anything but 'wow' and 'oh my'. But under all that self love Joffery was being very nice. Sansa already realized that the only time he was this sickeningly sweet was when he wanted something. She waited for him to demand what ever he was going to say. He changed the subject from him once they got to her class. 

"So how did you like the party?" Joffery asked.

"It was very fun. I enjoyed it, I told you that already." She said as they stood outside the door to her chemistry class. "I really have nothing to compare it to though. I didn't do to many parties like that at home." She blushed and she noticed that he rolled his eyes a little. 

"We are going to Blackwater Bay next Friday after the game to celebrate our inedible win. There is going to be a bonfire and some booze, oh and some live music. It will be a sick party. I have to go because I am the king of this school. And since you are my girlfriend you have to come with me. It will be an amazing party, almost a rave." Joffery said, looking as it was already decided and he was board with the conversation.

"I will have to talk to my parents about it. It is an away game that night and its already over an hour away. I couldn't stay to long at the party, I have a one o'clock curfew." Sansa said. She doubted she would be able to go.

"Well thats stupid. You shouldn't have to do that. Just tell them that you are with me and they will let you go." Joffery sounded so sure of himself.

"I will try to convince them Joffery, don't worry. I'll talk to my mother as soon as I get home and I will text you as soon as I get an answer." Sansa said. Joffery nodded and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good. See you at lunch." Joffery said walking away to his class.

She went into the room and sat next to Sandor at their table. She smiled at him and turned so she was looking at him. He had been ignoring her over the weekend, he had not returned the three texts and one call she made. And it seems as if he was going to continue ignoring her. Sansa was confused about his reaction to her and so she decided to ask him but wasn't able to because the bell rang and she couldn't ask. She opened her book as the teacher started talking. She started doodling in her note book trying to figure out a way she could get her parents to let her go to the party Friday and what she did to make Sandor mad at her, she was not paying attention to the lesson. When the teacher asked her a question she jumped and was unable to answer it because she had not heard a word the man had said. Sandor came to her rescue, he knew the answer and wrote it down for her to answer, saving her butt.

She reached for her pen that had fallen out of her hand when she was startled and was feeling for it blind on the table top. As she was groping the surface of the desk she touched Sandors hand. She kept it there for a moment longer then she should have, enjoying the warmth from his hand, his skin, next to her. Then she moved away and found the pen and went back to her doodling and daydreaming; still ignoring the teacher as he tried to teach them the chemical break down of the first 20 elements of the periodic table. The thoughts in her mind were much more interesting.

She thought of what that hand that she had touched would feel like on her skin. Having that hand run over her body; touching her in ways no body had ever touched her. She was thinking about what it would feel like if he had done that when they had been star gazing; touching her naked skin and making the fire hotter in her than touching they had done with clothes on had made. In that moment when they had both sat up from the blanked three nights ago she had wanted something to happen. Something primal was surging in her below the surface. When he had taken his jacket off she had felt like she was going to spring across that small space separating the two of them and help him remove all his clothing. But when he had handed her his jacket she had felt sad and a little foolish thinking he wanted more than to keep her warm.

Sansa didn't even know that the bell had rung; she was so lost in thought, until her classmates were all standing up and leaving the room.

"Sansa class is over. Are you coming?" Sandor asked, talking to her for the first time.

"Um yes. Did we have homework?" Sansa asked, quickly gathering her things.

"Yeah. We have to go over write a review on the next chapter in the book as well as the lecture. Did you know what the teacher said today?" Sandor asked.

"No I didn't catch any of it." She admitted.

"You seemed to be taking notes the whole time. Are you sure that you didn't know what was said in the lecture?" Sandor teased.

"Hey that's not nice. I have things on my mind. I am sorry that I didn't pay attention to your satisfaction." Sansa snapped.

They walked out into the hall and headed into the rushing crowd. Sansa was glad that she was walking with Sandler. The path was always clear for them, no matter how many bodies filled the hall. Instead of forcing people to get out of the way his sheer size made the mob move. Sansa was able to not have to worry about being jostled or bumped.

"So do you want some help with what happened in class today? I can help you out after practice, if you want. I know that you have cheer practice when I have football practice, so we can meet up and study together. There is a fifties themed burger joint that I go to. They have great food and its a cool place to study." Sandor offered. They had stopped in the middle of the hall and people passed them like they were an island. He looked uncertain about his proposition.

"That would be great. I would like that so much." She said taking his offer. Then she had an idea. "Can we take my car? I just got it and I really like driving it."

"Sure. Not a problem. I would love to be the first non family member to ride in your new baby." He said as they continued to walk to their next class.

"So you know about my car?" She asked.

"Well not only did I see the tons of pictures of it in Facebook, but you sent me two pictures on my phone, one very girly text and a high pitched voicemail. Sorry I didn't get back to you. I went camping up in the hills and didn't have service."

"That's okay. Why did you go camping?" She asked.

"Two reasons. One I was asked to do some work for some people I know. The other is I needed to just get out of the house. My father was home and we don't get along." His voice was empty as he talked about his dad and she wanted to know more about him and his family. They made it to their next class and took a seat. Questions would have to wait.

Bran

He walked to his theater class and took his normal seat with the Reeds. Mr. Renly was teaching them about costumes and makeup today. He was standing up on the stage with a flowered house dress and slippers on, with a wig and so much makeup that you could see him from outer space. The bell rang and he called the class to order.

"You all might be wondering why I am dressed like this." Renly said as he waved a hand at himself. "Well the answer is that I am trying to make a point. I can be anyone when I am on stage. I transcend myself and become who I am portraying. I am a sad fifty house wife, who is depressed because my husband doesn't love me anymore and I am sickened with myself for taking a lover. You can Tel this by my dress and how I did my hair and make up."

The class chuckled and took a good look at their teacher. The murders from the students ranged from how Renly made a good looking woman to how only a man secure in his sexuality could be a woman. But the best comment was about that was one hell of a back story for a five minute lecture, they all bet that it was how Renly really felt. He called the class back into order and continued with his lesson.

"So today I want all of you to go to the costume room and find one that fits your monologue. Then I want you to get your make up box out and figure out how you will transform yourselves into your characters. We will be performing on Wednesday. Now scamper off my little actors." Renly said with a flourish to his hand and a bow of his body. Everyone sat in their seats talking to their friends about what they should dress up as.

"Do you know where the costumes are?" Meera asked.

"No idea. But we can follow the others. I am sure that they know where they are going." Bran said.

The three walked with the rest of the class to the costume room. They looked for costumes for their monologues. Bran found a nice toga and roman looking sandals. It was a deep burgundy and Meera said Mark Anthony would wear something like this. She found him a large brooch to pin it on his shoulder and hold his costume up. Bran thought he was going to look foolish, but Jojen told him he wasn't Bran he was an actor, so he better suck it up and put his costume on. Meera found something that she felt was queenly enough for Titania from A Midsummers Night's Dream. It was a sheer Greek stole dress that was aqua blue. She had to wear a skin colored body suit under it to make it look like she was naked under it to pull off her look. Jojen found some armor and a crown for himself to help him become King Henry. Je had the easiest costume to wear. Bran bitched about Jojen was wearing more clothing then him and Meera combined. Jojen flipped him the bird and they laughed till tears streamed down their faces. They took their choices and went to the backstage area that had the makeup stations ready for them. They sat down next to each other and Bran just looked at the containers in front of him.

"Okay Meera, you're the girl here. How do we use this stuff?" Bran asked completely out of his depth.

"Does it look like I wear this stuff Bran? Just because I am female doesn't make me the defector makeup guru. Just read the instructions on the box." She snapped. She looked as lost as he did. He had never seen her in make up like his sisters.

"Fine. I will figure this crap out myself." Bran snapped back.

He picked up the box and read how to apply the stuff to the face. He opened the one called foundation and picked up the sponge. He dipped it into the goo and watched as the people around him pressed the goop filled sponge to their faces so he did the same. The make up was cold and he felt all his pores clogged. Once he covered his entire face he looked at the next step. He picked up a slightly dark pencil up, read the instructions again and knew he had to draw lines on his face. He crinkled up his face to make his natural lines and emphasize them.     

"So Bran did you talk to your sister about Friday night and what happened to her?" Jojen asked in a soft voice. His friend was applying blush to his cheeks. Bran didn't want to answer the question. But he had to.

"Um, yeah. I got a second hand account of what happened. Then I confronted her and everything that you said was going to happen did happen." Bran sat done the pencil and looked at the instructions again and saw he had to line his eyes. "I said that if things with Arya happened the way that you said would I would try to believe you." He closed his right eye and lined it. "But you have to understand that I am skeptic by nature and I do not completely believe you." Bran said, lining the other eye.

"I can deal with that. Do you want to learn how to do what I do?" Jojen asked applying his mascara now.

"I would like to understand it better. If that is what you are saying, yes." Bran said as he looked at his face. He had a really bad tan all over his face now. "Now what do I do? I got this foundation crap all over, did the liner on my face and eyes. What's next?"

"Mascara, powder and blush. I can help you if you want." Meera said as she swiped gold and blue eye shadow all over her eye lids.

"You are such a girl now." Jojen said. His face was made up but he was putting gel in his hair to try and flatten it down so the crown would stay.

"Oh shut up you. Now what are we going to do with my hair?" She picked up a hair brush and tried to arranged it in a queenly fashion. After the third attempt she was satisfied. She put a fancy head piece on her head and turned to Bran. "What do you think? Do I look like a fairy queen?"

"You look like the ass that falls in love with the queen." Jojen teased his sister.

"You do not look like an ass. You look very lovely." Bran said trying to figure out how to apply mascara. He ended up poking himself in the eye so Meera took over and finished his makeup. They brushed down his hair and Meera got a few waves to form. Once in his toga he looked very Roman.

Mr. Renly walked back stage to check on their progress. He wandered to the other students before coming over to Bran and the Reeds.

"You guys look so nice. I can see the characters from the great plays coming to life before my eyes. Meera you look amazing. Very much like Titania. And Bran you need to do something to your hair. It is okay, but not perfect yet. Keep trying. Now Jojen when you put your costume on you will be every inch a king." Renly said as he walked back up the rows of the students fixing their makeup and fiddling with their costumes. "Right. I have Polaroids here for everyone to take pictures so next class we wont have to take so much time doing the make up. There is fifteen minutes left in class. If you want to keep the makeup on you can, or you can wash it off with the baby wipes and face wash after the photos are taken."

Jojen and Bran jumped up, snapped the pictures and ran to wash their faces. They stood in the line of guys to wash their faces.

"Do you want to work on the psych project after school today at the burger joint together?" Jojen asked as they finally got to the sink.

"Sure. I could use the help. I haven't picked a disorder out yet to study. Maybe I could use you." Bran joked.

"Hey that would be something. That would give you an in-depth insight to what I am able to do." Jojen said. They walked back to Meera. "Bran is going to study me for the psych project."

"That is going to be something." Meera said as she put some finishing touches on her makeup.

"You aren't washing this crap off?" Jojen asked as they grabbed their street clothes to change back into.

"I want to try make up. I know this stuff is pretty heavy, but if I get a good reaction I might buy some normal stuff." Meera said once she was back into her baggy clothes.

"But then you will be a girl." Jojen wailed.

"Jojen, buddy, she is a girl." Bran said when he emerged from the changing room.

"Yeah, but no one knows that."

"Well, I think it is time people noticed. Now lets get out of here." Meera dragged her confused brother and his dazed friend out of the theater. They walked down the halls and Bran did notice that there were more then one guy do a double take at Meera. He looked at Jojen and he was not happy. Bran wasn't either. If guys started to notice her she wouldn't want to hang out with him and Jojen any more. Something had to be done.

Jaqen

He decided that he was going to work with clay today. He had an idea for a sculpture that he was dying to make. It had really taken root in his mind after his confrontation with that Bull at his party. It was of Theseus fighting the Minotaur. The symbolism was not lost on him. He hoped that when Arya saw the sculpture that she would get the slight hints that he was telling her. He would fight for her with whatever he possessed. He would slay the evil Minotaur who tried to take her away from him.

He was standing at his work station with an apron on over a tank top. He knew that he looked half naked with the apron on over his top. It was all part of his plan. His longer then normal hair kept falling in his eyes. There was clay up to his elbows. He noticed that when Arya walked into the room she stopped moving when she saw him. He knew that he looked good and was pleased that she had noticed. He gave her a small smile, and watched as she shivered. This was all for the best. He wanted her to want his body.

Arya went over to her work station and placed the painting that she had been working on last week up on her easel. It was of a of landscape, but it was in devastation. There was something in the painting that showed something about Arya that Jaqen knew that no one else could see. There was fear and a breakable part of her that he knew that with one wrong move would shatter her fragile hidden self into a million pieces. Part of him wanted to shatter her so she would turn to him to fix her. But he knew that was not the way to do it with her. He had to show her kindness and gain her trust, so he could breach her hard outer wall.

He turned away from her and went back to creating his vision. He started with Theseus. His vanity came out in that moment, so he based Theseus off of himself. So he sculpted a lean and muscular body. He wanted to make him naked, but he didn't want to ruffle to many feathers.  He spent a long time working on the lines of the body. He wanted to show off the power of the body. He spent a long time on the thighs and chest. He worked the longest on his Theseus's body. When he got to the head and the face he was unable to start it yet, so he perfected the body as much as he could while it was so wet. But that was all for the best. It gave him more time to distract Arya while he worked. He couldn't wait until he got to the killing of the Bull. He wanted to see her reaction to that.

He felt Arya standing behind him, but he ignored her until he got the chest of Theseus just right. He finally got it perfect. Then he turned and gave her a smolderingly hungry look.

"Yes Lovely Girl?" Jaqen asked trying to let his voice drip with seduction.

"I was just curious about what you were working on. I have never worked with clay before. Can I watch how you do it?" She asked pulling up a stool.

"Yes." Jaqen went back to work. He worked on the arms next. He wanted them to look strong, but not to bulky.

"What did you do the rest of the weekend?" Arya asked after several moments of silence.

"I painted and wrote some poems. Nothing out of the ordinary for me." He said. He tried to sound like he was board.

"Oh." She sounded disappointed.

"What about you?" He found himself asking. He usually did not talk when he was creating. But he wanted to talk to her.

"I helped my sister get her new car. And did homework. I guess it was a very ordinary weekend for me too" She said.

She sat there and he let her watch him work. It was something that he had never done before. He had never let another person watch him so intently before. He found it unnerving and difficult to concentrate on his work. He was starting on the finishing touches to the body and moved onto the head. After he got the shape just tight he went onto making the eyes, nose and mouth. There was a cough from behind him.

He glanced up at her through his hair. "Is there something that I can do for you Lovely Girl, or do you want to keep interrupting me some more?" He asked.

"What is it that you are making?" She asked.

"Theseus and the Minotaur. I had a compulsion to create this over the weekend but I don't have any clay to do it at my house." He said as he started get the face just right. It still looked like him. She had not noticed. He stopped working on the man and moved onto the beast.

"Oh. Well then I will let you get back to work." She said sliding from the stool. He didn't want her to move away, just as he started working on the good part.

"Are you finished with that painting?" Jaqen asked but didn't take his eyes off his work.

"Yes I am letting it dry." She said. "I didn't see the point of starting a new project when there was so little time left in class."

"I see. Well if tree is indeed so little time left I will stop for the day as well." He said.

He had gotten the basic body of the monstrous bull ready to work on tomorrow. He wrapped his sculpture up so it wouldn't dry put to much over night. He put it away in the locked storage room. He didn't want anyone to accidentally to bump it or break it. Once the door was locked he walked over to the sink and started to clean up his arms and took off the apron. He made a show of washing the clay from his body because she knew she was watching. He walked back to Arya in his tank top and jeans that were permanently stained in paint. He stood in front of her and gave a small stretch.

"Jaqen you have something on your face." Arya stood and walked over to the get a wet paper towel.

He stood still as she came up close to him. He held his breath as she wiped the clay off his face with a soft touch. When he allowed himself to breathe again her hand was still on his face making sure all signs of clay were gone.

"There, all better." Her hand fell away from his face and she stepped back. She stood and looked him in the eyes. She finally stepped away and the bell that signaled the end of class rang.

Jaqen watched her quickly gather her things and all but run out of the room, away from him, away from how he made her feel.

He smiled. His plan was working and he knew she wanted him. He just had to keep making her want him until she couldn't stand it any more. But he wouldn't give in right away at the first hint that she was breaking. He would make her wait until she wanted him so bad only he could make her better. He wanted to be a drug to her. Now that this part of his plan was in motion he needed to work on the second part. He still needed to figure out how to get Gendry out of the picture, for good.

Gendry

He used to love auto class. Working with the tools, fixing things, getting dirt stuck under his finger nails. All these things used to make him feel alive and good. But now the class filled him with trepidation. He could not seem to concentrate. On anything, when he was in the shop, or in classes, or home. His lack of concentration was really starting to get to him. And not just by causing him to day dream, mess up on class work, and band practice, but to get hurt. He had smashed his fingers three times last week, dropped a tire on his foot and got a face full of oil. Beric was always yelling at him all the time. His nerves were frayed. 

He knew why he went from being a good mechanic to a total fool in the shop. Why he was letting down his friends and teachers. And the name of the cause was Arya Stark.

When he had smashed his fingers it had been when she was touched his leg while she was pulling herself from under a car. He had let go of the hood that he was holding. He dropped the tire when she punched him in the arm. The incident with the oil happened on Friday. He was to busy looking at Arya all zipped up and popping out of her jumpsuit as she leaned over a car tinkering with a carburetor. He had tripped and his face was planted into a tub of nasty oil.

Today was going to be just as difficult and challenging. She was standing with a master cylinder to a old beat up Mustang in her hand talking to the teacher. Gendry knew that it was the instructor's old junk car, and that he had been looking for someone gullible enough to take it off his hands. He could see the look in the teachers eyes that she had taken the bait and that she was going to take the old hunk of junk off the old geezer's hands.

"Thank you Mr. Smith. I think I can make something out of this heap. It is one of the good things about having a wealthy father. His money can get just about anything. I am sure that I will be able to get all the parts that I need." Arya was saying.

"It is all yours now. You can keep it here in the shop while you work on it."

"Thanks again." Arya said walking over to Gendry.

"So you bought the scrap?" He laughed. Arya had a wide smile on her face and she looked like a cat who got the cream.

"Yeah. Jon is always looking for this car. It is kind of an obsession for him. I wanted to get it for him for his birthday in March. I hope I can have it all fixed up by then." She said as she opened the hood and looked down in despair at the sad looking inner workings of a once nice car.

"Well if you need any help let me know. I don't mind working on a lost cause." Gendry said looking at the motor as well.

She smiled and jumped up and down. He watched her bounce abound and fought off his dirty thought.

"That would be great. More hands and all that. We could get it done on time that way. I better go change. I don't want to get grime all over my clothes. Then we can start. Gendry you are the best." She walked away from the car and went to change.

Gendry figured he should start working so he started to pull the bad parts out and was tossing them on the floor, and the good parts he placed out on a table. Arya came back in the tight jumpsuit that she wore in the shop. He swallowed convulsively as she bent over to tinker with the car across from him. He didn't think she was intentionally doing it, leaving it half zipped so he saw down her shirt. He had to fight the urge to pull her into the small bathroom and unzip the top of the suit she was in and let free her body for his ravenous hands devour the contours of her body. Work, he needed to work. Not act like a creep and stand there salivating over Arya.

They worked very well together. In the hour that they had for their class they had almost pulled the whole motor out of the car. That was a first for him. The time that it usually took him to pull an engine was exponentially longer doing it alone then when it was with Arya. She made lively conversation, told raunchy jokes and was not afraid to get dirty. The old saying was true, if you were having fun the work just flew by. He didn't want to end. He liked the two of them working together, without distractions. He hoped that they had been working hard enough to make her forget their kiss. She wasn't acting any different, so he hoped that was a good sign.

Arya went to change back into her clothes when the class bell sounded. He washed up and decided to wait for her to come out so they could walk to the cafeteria together to eat with the others. They were talking about how great it was that so many of the parts were salvageable and they could keep most of it original. They stood in line and grabbed trays to collect their food. He piled his with pizza, fries and cola. He noted that Arya had a salad and a single slice of pizza with a juice drink. When they got up to pay he paid for their food and went to their normal table under the windows.

"You didn't have to do that, you know." She said as they walked to their friends.

"I know. But its my peace offering for being an ass at the party." He tried to keep his tone light.

"Well if you being an ass means free food you can be an ass any time you want, Stupid." She smiled up at him.

Gendry felt his stomach flip flop. Did she just give him permission to make out with her if he fed her? He better find out what food she liked so he could act stupid any time. He had a large, very stupid grin on his face when they finally made it to their friends and sat down. She had a slight smile on her face well.

"Did you really buy the scrap from Smith?" Thoros demanded when they sat down.

Arya shot a look at Gendry. He shrugged and started eating. He might have sent a mass text to the guys so they could tease her about how it was a lost cause.

"Yes, I did. It is a gift for Jon." Arya was on the defensive. There was no way to stop her from being crabby when she was on the defensive. So much for free food making everything better.

"Anything for Jon." Aegon rolled his eyes. "You must really love your brother to buy him a hunk of junk like that." Aegon said. Gendry had to really fight mot to laugh at her face.

"That was not nice Aegon. Arya can fix it up and I think that she knows enough grease monkeys to help her out." Myrcella said rushing to Aryas defense.

"I don't mind helping out." Hot Pie chimed in. "But I know nothing about cars. But I am very good at witty conversation when tensions are rising and you feel as if there is no way that you can figure out how to get your hunk of junk to work."

"Thank you so very much Hot Pie." Arya said. She glared at the rest of the table as they all fought not to bust a gut. Gendry decided to change the subject.

"So are we playing at the bonfire at Blackwater Bay at the after party for the football game?" Gendry asked Beric.

"Yeah. I have everything arranged." He snapped. He was not happy. "Is no one going to address the elephant in the room?" Beric demanded.

"What elephant?" Gendry asked. He hoped that Beric was not going to bring up the fact that he and Arya had kissed.

"The one that has to do with Myrcella and Aegon." Thoros said. He was eating his pasta and looking at his plate, so he wasn't looking at anyone.

Gendry looked over at the two people in question. They were both blushing and avoiding looking at everyone. So there was more going on then just a date.

"We talked over the weekend and got to know each other. We decided to date. Is there a problem with that?" Aegon said. He puffed up his chest and Mycella took his hand and they placed it on top of the table.

"Hey way to go you two." Gendry said patting Aegon on the back.

"When did this happen?" Arya demanded.

"We um decided to 'go out' last night. We talked for a while and decided to try it out. And I do not want any teasing to come out of this." Myrcella said glaring at every one at the table.

"But you took a whole day to tell me? I'm your best friend. I should know these things." Arya said.

"Oh Arya. I knew I forgot something. I have a boyfriend. There, I told you. Happy now?" Myrcella said, laughing at her friend.

Arya grumbled something that sounded like stupid, boys and hormones before she went back to eating.

Gendry looked over at Beric and broke out laughing. But they were quickly stopped in their laughter by Arya. She had smacked Gendry and kicked Beric to get them to stop. Myrcella looked like she was going to murder them.

"Will you shut up? You two are insensitive asses." Arya hissed.

Gendry didn't stop laughing, if anything he laughed harder. Arya went to smack him again but he caught her hand and held it so she couldn't continue her assault on him.

"I would not do that if I were you, princess. You wouldn't like what I would do back if you smacked me again." He whispered it to her as he pulled her close. He felt the sparks flying out of her eyes. He knew that she wanted to punch him and leave him weeping on the floor.

He gave her a smile and raised his eyebrow.

"You know there are other things that can make that tension that you seem to have in spades go away that I can think of. " He whispered.

She gulped. They were so close. He could feel her breath on his face. He saw the sparks in her grey eyes and knew his blue ones were just as electric. This sexual tension was going to kill him some day, he knew it.

"You don't have the balls to do anything that could tame me." She hissed.

She tried to pull away, but he held her hand tighter. Not enough to hurt her, just to keep her there.

"I bet I do. To bad you will never know about it." He did the only thing that felt tempting and not to spectacular. He knew that their table had stopped talking and were watching the show. He kissed her hand and let her go. She went back to sitting beside him, looking at him as if he was something new.

"If that's the only game you have there Stupid, you need some better moves." Arya said and the table exploded in a loud laugh. He knew he had rattled her and that her comment was her way of gaining back the confidence he had taken from her with that one small innocent kiss. He just sat there smiling.

They finished their lunch. Their topics of conversations went back to the fig they had Friday. The band talked about set lists and lights and sound. Mycella and Arya were whispering and giggling together the rest of lunch. Once the bell rang to tell them all to get back to class they took their trays to throw away the garbage and pile the cleared trays up. Gendry was behind Arya. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. He was so close he felt her shiver as his breath hit her neck and ear.

"I have more game then you know, princess. You want to see moves, you have to ask for them. They don't come free." he left his tray and walked away. He looked back over his shoulder and he was looking at him as he walked away. He hoped he had not messed things up. He hoped he had made her want him, not scared her away.

Sandor

He had walked out of the locker room and Sansa had been waiting for him, just like she said she would be. He had watched her practice while he had been on the side lines. She was smiling and laughing with the other girls and there was an openness to her face that made him smile. Joffery kept making comments about how he sure had one hot piece of ass with Sansa. Joffery was so close to getting a beating, but Sandor just toned him out. His practice had made his mood go from happy to dark. But it brightened again when saw her waiting for him.

"Hey! I tried to read the books chapter while you were changing and I do not get this. Are you sure he talked about this all today? I don't remember." Sansa said was she all but danced over to him.

Sandor was not surprised she had not heard the lecture. He had looked at her 'notes' in class. all she had were stars all over the page. No notes or anything on the lecture. He gave a small laugh.

"I am sure. I have everything in my notes. We can compare ours at the restaurant if you want." He watched her pale slightly at the mention of comparing notes.

"No. I think your notes will be better then mine. Lets go." She skipped her way out of the hall and outside. He knew she had a mini something for a car, but he was not prepared for the real size of it.

"You have got to be kidding me. There is no way that I am riding in this car. I will not fit into it." Sandor said looking at Sansas car.

"You can fit into it. My father did." She said opening her door and looked at him from over the top. Her look was a challenge, and he never backed down from a challenge once it had been issued.

"I am a little taller then he is." Sandor said defensively. He had to play this right.

"Not by much. Just get in the car. I want to get something to eat and do this stupid chem homework. I have the stupid math to do as well." Sansa grumbles. She had also been distracted in math as well.

"I don't know why you had to pick such a small car. Only a tiny person can fit in this damn thing." Sandor leaned down to look once again into the tiny car that Sansa insisted on taking. "I have a perfectly good car that I can fit into. Why don't I drive my car and you can follow me. That way you wouldn't have to come back here."

"I have to be back here to get Arya and Bran in a couple hours, so I would have to be back anyway. Will you just get in the car?" She barked. Sandor liked angry Sansa. She got little pink circles on her cheeks. He gave in, like he knew he would.

"Fine!" Sandor bent down again. "If I get stuck I am going to pull this toy apart getting out." He put his left leg in and scrunched into the seat. "I seem to only be able to get one leg in Sansa. Is there anything you can do to help me?"

He was not comfortable. He felt like a sardine and he was only partially in. He gave her a grimace and she made the sexiest O with her mouth. She came to his side of the car and leaned down to see the controls. He would have done it himself but he liked having her this close to him. He also had a great view of her back side as she leaned down.

"Oh yeah. I can move the seat back. Give me a sec. I have not yet mastered the controls." She started pushing buttons. It took a little longer then he liked.

"That's just making it worse. Sansa I can't breathe. My knee is almost cutting off my air way." Sandor choked. His one leg was getting a cramp and be wanted nothing more then to just push back with all his strength and move the seat himself. But he didn't want to break Sansa's new car. So he let her mess with the controls.

"Sorry. How about now?"

She had finally slid the seat all the way back and lowered it all the way to the ground so he fit, finally.

"That is much better. And I can get my other leg in now. Let get this toy car on the road." Sandor said as he was fully able to get into the car and put his seat belt on.

Sansa smiled down at him and then he ran back to her side of the car. She slid into her seat. She clicked her seat belt on, turned the key over and put the car in drive. Sandor was amazed that she could look even more breath taking then normal. But the look if love and pleasure as she drove her car made her glow in a way he had never seen before. She truly was a vixen.

"So give me the address. I still don't know where things are around here." She was at a stop light. He gave her the directions and she drove to the burger joint. They got out and walked in. He had his books and took a seat. Sansa had not been kidding when she said she was hungry. She got a deluxe burger and taters tots with a chocolate soda. He got the mushroom Swiss burger and fries with a vanilla milkshake.

"You have a healthy appetite." He said as they opened the books and got down to business. They worked until their food came. Sansa refused to do anything but eat once the food came. She ate like it was her first food in days. Sandor remembered that she did not really eat at lunch today, so she probably needed this food. As she scarred the food he ate at a normal pace. Since she finished first she decided to copy some more notes and asked the occasional question to Sandor.

He wished this was not them studying, but a date. He should have asked her out before Joffery got his hooks in her. All he could do is be her friend now.

"Did you know that when you concentrate you chew the nail on your left hand pinky?" He asked when. he had finished his food.

"I did. My brother Robb always made fun of me for doing that." Sansa smiled at him. "Sandor I think I have all the notes. But we ran out of time. I didn't get to ask you for help with math." She made a sour face and they both laughed.

"Well you can always call me, or we can Skype or something later tonight. I can still help you." He said as he gathered their books and slid some cash in with the check. Sansa didn't notice and he was sure that she would have insisted on paying her share. Over his dead body.

"I know I can call you, but its not the same." She was practically pouting as they walked out of the restaurant. Sandor chuckled as he slid into the toy car.

"Oh, so you like being up close and personal with me? The sound of just my voice doesn't do it for you?" Sandor had been trying to joke, but Sansa blushed, stuttered something then pulled out of the parking lot. He had gotten to her and he liked that he now knew she liked his company, a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't add a POV this chapter but bulked it up quite a bit. It is a lot of fun getting to write this story again. So let me know what you think. Is it good. Heating up? Anything I should improve. This is an edit. If I still have things I need to fix let me know.


	12. Right or Wrong

Arya

The last few days had been very challenging for her. Gendry and Jaqen were making things tough for her. They were both pursuing her aggressively. Well aggressively for her. To everyone else it was not enough. She paced in her room thinking about what to do. Gendry asked her to go out to dinner with him before he went and played with his band at the party that night. Jaqen had asked her to go to a gallery opening on Saturday night. They both claimed that they just wanted to go out with her as friends, but she knew that they wanted more. The only good thing to happen to her was that Aegon and Mycella had started dating. That was two weights lifted off her shoulders. She was down one admirer and she was able to keep one best friend.

But despite all the good things going for her she still felt like a wolf lost in winter without her pack. She didn't know who to turn to, who to ask for help. Arya felt more alone now then she had ever felt in Winterfell. At least there she had the wild country of the North to turn to for answers. Since she was at a loss for help she decided to ask the one person she knew she could always turn to for help.

She decided to call Jon. She didn't care that it was ten thirty at night, she knew he would know what to do. She hit his number on her speed dial. It took him seconds to pick up. Before he even said hello she started talking.

"Jon I need your advice."

"Little Wolf do you know what time it is? I have a test to do tomorrow. I really need to be studying." Jon said sounding wary. She could picture him witting behind his desk, books scattered all over the place. His hair would be mussed and he probably had black circles under his eyes.

"I am sorry Jon, but I don't know who else to call." She sounded deflated and sad.

"Is it more boy problems?" Jon asked. He knew everything. She would either text him with questions or send him lengthy emails. It made her feel silly, but she told him about everything, except for the car. That was a surprise.

"Um, yes." She whispered. She was glad he couldn't see how red her face became. It embarrassed her to admit she had boy troubles.

"What happened now? Is there a fourth guy trying to get you?" Jon was smiling, she could tell just by the sound of his voice. If he would have been there she would have smacked him.

"No. I am down an admirer, actually. Aegon and Myrcella are dating. So that's two problems that are resolved. But I still have two guys after me. And the part that I need advice about is that they both asked me out for this weekend. Gendry wants to take me to a gig he is playing, and Jaqen wants to take me to a art thing. They said that they only wanted to go out as friends, but I know that they want more. Should I say no to both or no to one and yes to the other? I mean they are both pretty cool and I have things in common with them both. But I don't know them enough to just date one yet. What do I do Jon?" She was talking so fast that she didn't even stop to take a breath. She even sounded like she was whining.

"Say yes to both. They said that you would only be going out as friends, so say yes to both of them and if you have a good time with one of them more then the other ask that one out to be your steady guy." Jon said. He was calm and rational about it.

"So I just go out with them both, just like that. I couldn't do that." Arya protested. "That's just weird, and cheating. I don't think I can do that."

"You can. Normal people do it all the time. It is called dating Little Wolf. It is all a part of getting older." Jon laughed. He had always told her being older wasn't as fun as she pictured.

"Then I don't want to grow up." She huffed.

"Tough shit sis. It is happening and there is nothing that you can do to stop it." Jon said.

"So I am supposed to date both of them? But isn't that cheating? Won't they get mad?" She started to chew on the end of a pen while she thought about cheating and them getting mad and everything blowing up in her face.

"Just be opened with Jaqen and Gendry. If they really like you they will understand. Tell them you want to get to know them so you really go out as friends. Just don't agree to be anyones girlfriend, because then that would be cheating. You are a smart girl Little Wolf; you will know what is right for you. Just take your time to decide who you want. Do you have any idea which one of these Argonauts that you like better?" Jon asked.

"Gendry is funny. We have a lot in common. He is the best person to work on a car with. He makes me laugh and we joke around a lot. When I kissed him there was something there. He is someone that I can talk to about with all the crazy stuff that pops into my head and we get along great. Plus he is one hell of a good looking guy." Jon groaned on the other end and mumbled something about little sisters and punching faces. "Jaqen is so different. He is so artistic and he helps me do better with my art. He is sensitive and makes me feel like I don't have to be so tough all the time. And he is so passionate about things. He sees the world on a different plane then the rest of us. He isn't the classic definition of hot, but there is something about his looks that is interesting. So you might now get why I don't know what to do Jon." She said.

"You sure know how to pick them Arya. They couldn't sound more different." Jon laughed. "It seems to me that if they were one person he would be perfect for you. Since they are two different guys you do have a problem. I have to get to studying Little Wolf. But if you need anything I am here for you." She knew this was his nice way of brushing her off. He gave her advise and it was now her place to do something about it.

"Okay. Go study. I love you big brother." Arya smiled slightly at her phone. She did love her brother. Before Mycella he had been her best friend.

"I love you to Little Wolf." Jon hung up the phone on his end.

She looked at her blank phone screen for a moment then went back to her desk. She was still unsure of what to do, but she figured that Jon had never given her bad advice before, so she would go with it.

She went to her computer and looked to see who was online. She hoped one of them would be. She looked for the little green lights that indicated a person was available to chat. Gendry was there. She took a deep and got ready to accept the first of two dates. She opened a chat box and quickly typed her question.

_So do you still want to have dinner Friday? –Arya_

Arya sat back. She had sent it out there. Now she had to wait for him. It felt like she was waiting forever, but she knew it was only seconds really until he answered back.

_Yeah. Um, hell yes I do. So do you want to go to a Thai place that I know? Or sushi? Do you like either of them? –Gendry_

Arya giggled at how eager that he sounded. It was too cute. Completely different from the cool confidant Gendry that she knew at school.

_Thai is fine. Want to meet at five? –Arya_

_How about six? I have to help load the van for the gig that night. I can pick you up at your house after I do that for Beric. –Gendry_

He wanted to come here and pick her up? That sounded more like a real date, not just friends hanging out. She did not want it to be a real date. Did it mean that she had to dress up? What if he tried to hold her hand or kiss her? This wouldn't work. Then a devious thought entered her mind.

_Um sure you can pick me up. You can meet my dad! -Arya_

He didn't reply right away and Arya couldn't help but smile. She had figured that the idea of meeting her dad would cool him down some and she was right.

_Sure, we can do that. –Gendry_

_Okay. See you tomorrow. Se have major sanding to do on the project. –Arya_

_Oh crap we do. Well shit. I hate sanding. I am an engine and how a car works kind of a guy, not a body man… Well not a car body at least. –Gendry_

_Okay you stupid creep. You think about bodies on your own time. I am going to go to bed now. -Arya_

_Even if its a body you know? -Gendry_

_Get your mind off my body! -Arya_

_It wasn't yours I am thinking about. Its Hot Pie's. Okay then. Night, sleep well. –Gendry_

_You too. –Arya_

"Well that was easy." She mumbled to herself.

"What was easy? Hey do you have a red scoop neck long sleeved shirt that I can borrow? I can't find mine and I have a skirt that I need one to wear with it." Sansa asked walking into Aryas room.

"Yeah I have one. It is hanging up in my closet, go ahead and take it." Arya said.

"What was easy? You didn't say." Sansa asked again.

"I said that I would go to dinner with a friend on Friday. That is all." Arya said with a shrug.

"That's nice. You need to go out." Sansa said grabbing the shirt and walking out of the room.

Arya sat down on the bed and looked at her phone and decided to text Jaqen. She found him and typed her text. 

_Is the invitation to go to the opening still on the table? –Arya_

_Oh Lovely Girl. Everything is opened to you. –Jaqen_

_Ha not everything. But I would like to see the art gallery opening. What time is it at on Saturday? –Arya_

_Five. –Jaqen_

_Where is it at? Do you want to meet there or someplace else? –Arya_

_Do you know the 50's themed burger place? –Jaqen_

_Yeah I do. I love that place. It seems that all my friends go there. Want to meet there? –Arya_

_I know they all frequent there. Lets meet. That would be good. How about at 4:30? –Jaqen_

_That sounds perfect. Awesome, I will see you tomorrow in class. –Arya_

She had done it. Arya Stark was going to go on two dates in the same weekend. Jon had better be right. She hoped that this helped her decide who she liked more. Now that she had accepted the two contenders dates she thought of the more important aspects of going on a date, hair and clothes. Arya was useless at these things. In a mad rush she ran out of her room and bolted down the hall. She went to the only person in the entire house that would help her.

"Sansa! Sansa I need your help." Arya pounded on her sisters door. Moments later her sister answered. Her face was green with some kind of mask.

"Arya? What is it? What do you want?" Sansa asked.

"I need your help." Arya looked down at her feet.

"What kind of help? Its eleven at night. We have school on the morning." Annoyance was thick in her sisters voice.

"I, um, well I guess you could say I have a date. Two actually. I need your help on picking my outfits and what to do with my hair and make up." Arya felt her face blushing all the way to her hair roots. She swayed from one foot to the other waiting for her sister to speak. Sansa let out a little squeal and pulled her sister into her room. She shut the door and sat her sister down.

"Oh Arya. I am so glad you asked me to help you. Now tell me who you are going out with and where you are going." Sansa sat at her vanity and despite the mask she gave Arya a look their mother wore when she demanded the truth and nothing but the truth.

Arya started talking. By weld past midnight she and her sister had decided on what she should wear. Arya and Sansa had never really gotten along as children, but she realized that now as they grew older they would need each other more if they were going to survive the South.

"Thanks Sansa." Arya said as she left her sisters room. "I don't think I would have been able to get this right without you. I would have worn one of our brothers old T-shirts and grease covered jeans."

"Hey, we are sisters. We are family. That means we help each other. Night sis." Sansa shut her door and Arya walked to her room. Now after her talk with her brother and sister she now felt better about the whole thing involving the two guys in her life.

She fell asleep that night dreaming of the story of the Monitor and Theuses. But unlike the sculpture Jaqen had been working on Jaqen was the monster and Gendry the hero. She tossed and turned all night. 

Sandor

Sandor found himself at the Red Keep doing Jofferys homework for him, despite the fact he hated doing this. But he couldn't say no the worm. He held to much over him. If he didn't he would make his life difficult. Be had used to beat people up for Joffery before high school. Joffery had used that leverage as a hold, until Sandoz spent a summer at the observatory and was taught that he should ask those he had wronged for forgiveness. He had done that and from that day on had not been Joffery's attack dog and only hit people who deserved it. But now Joffery held a stronger threat. His grandfather employed both his father and brother. One word to his grandfather, Joffery said, and he could have his father and brother fired. So he did the worms school work for him. As long as Joffery kept a B average the worm kept his mouth shut to his grandfather. With his family working so much they were rarely home and that left Sandor mostly alone, the way he liked it. 

He was writing a paper for Jofferys English class on All Quite on the Western Front. Sandor actually liked the book, so this wasn't a hardship for him. The difficult part was dumping it all down to something Joffery would have really written. He was working on putting the 'dumbness' into the paper as he 'revised'. This was a lot harder then it sounded. Since it was a book he had enjoyed it was hard for him to not be passionate to the papers arguments.  

Joffery was on his computer talking to someone over IM. Sandor was sick of hearing Joffery laughing and commenting on what he and whoever he was talking to were saying.

"This girl here says that she really puts out. I like the sound of that." Joffery cackled.

Sandor cracked his knuckles. He was going to punch the little worm in the face. He was talking to a girl when he was supposed to be Sansa's boyfriend.

"I think I am going to meet her on Friday. See if she is true to her word." Joffery said.

"What about Sansa? Aren't you taking her to the after party Friday?" Sandor asked.

"Shit I forgot about that. I can still go with her, tell this girl Ros to meet me at the party and go off somewhere with her while Sansa is occupied. Sansa is so stupid that she won't even know what is going on. Shit, that will be a rush I haven't had in a while. Fucking some whore, right under the nose of my girlfriend." Joffery laughed his high pitched laugh that set Sandor's hair on end. "Are you done with that paper yet?"

"Almost. I just have the last paragraph to write." Sandor lied. He was now just sticking around to find out what Joffery had planned to further hurt Sansa.

He went back to the paper and couldn't concentrate on what he had to write. So he just put some bullshit in that was typical to Joffery's usual dumbness. He knew that the paper was not going to get an A like Joffery wanted, but Sandor didn't give a shit about what the worm wanted. He had to get the information, then get the hell out of there before he thrashed the worm for thinking about cheating on Sansa.

"So on Friday will you keep Sansa busy while I go and have some fun." Joffery didn't ask, he ordered.

Sandor did not say a word. He just finished writing the paper. He saw Joffery finally turn away from the computer and look at Sandor for the first time. He saw Jofferys nostrils flaring and he knew that ignoring him was not helping. But he did not want to say anything to him at the moment.

"I cannot hear you dog? Are you going to look after her while I have my fun?" He demanded, his voice high pitched and whining.

"Whatever. I am finished with your damn paper. I am going home now. See you tomorrow." Sandor had just submitted the paper in for him and slammed his laptop shut.

"I do not like how long it took you to answer me Dog. Next time I ask you a question I want an immediate answer. Or you will be having a lot of family time on your hands, very soon. Understand me?" Joffery threatened.

Sandor knew that Joffery would not do anything to him just yet. He needed him to much. But he didn't doubt the worm would't take it out on someone else. There was nothing that he could really do, but he knew that he had to say something.

"Sorry. I was finishing your paper and I was not going to say anything until I was done writing it for you. You do want a passing grade on the paper right?" Sandor asked.

"Of course I do. How else am I going to get into Yale without your brain?" Joffery demanded.

"Well now you have the reason why I didn't answer you right away. Are we done now?" Sandor was tired and just wanted to be away from this mess.

Joffery gave him a long look then turned back to his computer. He waved his hand over his shoulder at him.

"You may go. I don't need you anymore for the night."

Sandor went out of the room. He couldn't get out fast enough. He usually went and checked in with Marcella and Tommen. But not that night. He all but ran out of the house, got into his car, and drove home as fast as he could. Sandor was surprised that he didn't crash. Once home he parked his car, glad to see no one else was there. Walking into the large dark house soothed his nerves. But he was still high strung from what Joffery had planned and the roll he must play. He went into his father's liquor cabinet and pulled out some whiskey. He filled a tumbler half way up and took it with him up to his room. He had experienced how Joffery handled his girlfriends and how he always cheated on them before. But to his mind there was something special about Sansa and he could not imagine how even a worm like Joffery could abuse the relationship with her. She was sexy, kind and smart. She deserved better, but it appeared she was to stupid to realize it.

He took a sip of the whiskey and went over to his computer to do some of his homework. He was usually not a drinker during the week and only indulged when he was with Joffery at parties, but after spending time with Joffery there was something that drove him to it that night. What he had felt when he had heard Joffery say he was going to cheat on Sansa was enough to make him see red. He had wanted to call Sansa and tell her that her sweet boyfriend was a dirt bag. But he didn't do that.

What he did do was draft Myrcella an e-mail. He did it because she had tried to talk to him about getting Sansa to break up with her brother earlier during the week. But he had brushed her off. But she knew Joffery better then anyone. She knew what he was capable of. He had tried to protect Sansa from her brother, despite the risk. Now he had to do the same. 

_Hey Myrcella, I was with your brother doing his homework and I heard him talking about screwing some girl at Blackwater. With Sansa being there as well. I don't usually feel bad for the girls that he cheats on, but I know Sansa. She is to nice of a person let something like this happen to her. Is there a way that you could talk to her sister? If you tell her about him, she could warn Sansa and that would stop Sansa from making a mistake of bring with your brother. If you think of a way to do this before Friday let me know. I will help any way that I can to save this poor girl from the crazy depraved mind of your brother._

_Sandor._

He sat back looking at his computer. His hand was on the mouse but he hesitated on sending it. He knew that he should, Sansa Stark was his friend. They talked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company. They talked about their classes and their common interests. But there was something holding him back from sending the email. He was not able to send it. He did not want to be the one to burst her fairy tale bubble. She had to see for herself how low her prince really was.

He saved the email, thinking that he could edit it later and send it if something happened at the party , but he couldn't do it tonight. It was to rash, to impulsive and he was not that kind of person, except when Sansa was involved. How the hell had that vixen wormed her way onto his life so deeply. He had not felt protective of another person since his mother was alive. But here he was, trying to protect Sansa, even if it was from herself.

He downed the rest of his drink and turned off the computer. He walked over to his book shelf and pulled out a tattered copy of Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. He hunkered down in his bed and started to read. He had to get to sleep soon and the booze was not working to take the edge off his anger and the book was not making him sleepy. He put the book on his nightstand and switched off the light. He had to get to sleep, it was late and there was nothing he could do tonight about his moral issue that had been tearing an ever growing whole in his heart.

It was there in the dark of his room, alone in his room, that he admitted to himself a truth he had been denying since he had met her. He liked Sansa as more then a friend. He liked her as a woman. And he was a man. A man who was pressed between a rock and a hard place. But he would was damn sure he would not be the one to break first.

Bran

He did not like theater anymore. He had memorized his lines and did his costume and makeup all properly. But when he got up on the stage he choked. He could not say his lines and they had completely gone out of his head when it was his turn to perform. He had just stood there under the stage lights and he felt like a fish opening and closing his mouth with no sound coming out.

He had stood there on that stage and felt like a complete fool. Renly had called him off the stage and told that he could try again at the end of the week. He had tried rationalizing what was going on with what his mind was doing to him. He had never been one to freeze before. He was not used to failing. He was passed and he was lost. This was a new feeling for him. Everything that involved school was so easy for him. He had failed, but he would not fail again.

So he went home that day and rehearsed and practiced until he was blue in the face. He was not going to choke the next time.

He got to school the next day and sat in the audience and watched six of his classmates perform. Meera did her performance and she looked amazing as the queen of the fairies. Bran sat there and watched how easy it was for her to stand there in the spotlight and become someone different. He tried to watch what she was doing, how she lost herself in the acting. But there was nothing that he saw that she did that was different from what he knew how to do, in theory. She was doing the same thing he did when he was alone in his room. Once she had finished Renly took to the stage.

"All you performers did excellent. I loved how you all threw yourselves into your characters. Especially Miss Reed. A superb performance, my dear girl. That will be our last performance of the day. The rest of you can go tomorrow. I know that there are ten minutes left in class, but we are done for the day. Go do whatever you want, as long as it is not illegal or breaks school rules." Renly said to the assembled student audience.

Bran walked over to where Renly once sitting and scoring the actors for the day from his notes.

"Renly I would like to go first tomorrow. If that is okay with you. I don't think that I can go last." Bran said.

"I am sorry Bran but we need to have the people go who have not already performed. You have to go last." Renly said still looking down at his notes.

Bran walked away without a word and went back to where his friends were sitting. He did not want to go last. He was known that he was probably just going to choke again by going last.

"Did you convince him to let you go first?" Jojen asked as he sat down next to him.

"No. I have to go last. It is not something that I want to do. But I have to go last because I choked yesterday." He ran his hand over his face.

"That sucks man. That is not something that I would want to do. I am glad that I have gotten my performance all done with. I was meaning to ask you, was that a tear in your eye while I gave my speech? I think that I was convincing in trying to raise the hearts of the troops before they marched into battle." Jojen joked.

"No. But you were very good. I believed that you were the king." Bran said with a smile. His friend had a great sense of humor, but it was a little dry and slightly hard to follow.

"Who knows, I might be a king." Jojen laughed.

Bran opened his history book and started reading the chapter that they were going to be going over that day in class. He wanted to stop talking to Jojen. It was all review for him. It was early world history and Bran had read up on it months ago. He thought that Kings Landing was going to challenge him. So far the only class that he had that did to him was theater.

The bell rang and they started to file out of class. He passed Sansa in the hall on Joffery's arm with Sandor behind them. He was thinking about Sansa and how she looked so sad with Joffery, then all of a sudden he saw her in his head.

_She was standing by a fire crying and there were people walking by her ignoring her as she sobbed. A shadow was behind her looming over her, but not in a evil way. Joffery walked over to her and pulled her to him savagely wiping the tears from her face. It looked like they were arguing, but he heard no words. The shadow surrounding Sansa turned into an angry hell hound trying to get between his sister and Joffery. The shadow showed his teeth and lunged at Joffery._

Then Bran was back in the halls of the school. He was dizzy and felt like he was going to be sick. Meera and Jojen were on either side of him holding his arms and looking concerned.

"Bran are you okay?" Meera asked, her face concerned.

"I think that you telling me how you "see" things is starting to get to me." Bran said. He weeded and hunched over on himself.

"What did you see Bran? What is going to happen?" Jojen demanded.

"I saw my sister Sansa. I saw her crying." Brans voice was shaken.

"Is that all? Bran you can tell us. It might be important." Meera said.

"She was crying and Joffery was there. There was a shadow around her, but it tried to get between her and Joffery. It turned into a hell hound. It tried to protect her. They were arguing, but I couldn't hear what they were saying." Bran said.

"Do you think that will come true?" Meera asked her brother.

"Well his sister is dating Joffery. Odds are that she is in for heartache." Jojen said.

"I need to get more sleep or eat something. I must be going crazy." Bran muttered to himself as the Reeds lead him to their next class.

"What about the hell hound?" Meera asked.

"Think about it. Who is Jofferys right hand man? The Hound, Sandor Clegane. It couldn't be clearer." Jojen said.

"You cannot be serious. This is not real. It was a hallucination; that is all. Sleep denervation. Something like that." Bran shot back. He could not believe that everything Jojen had said to him, about seeing the future, was true.

"You can be in denial all you want Bran, but I think that we both know that you had a vision." Jojen said.

A heavy silence hung in the air between them. Bran wanted to deny everything that his fried had said was true. But his gut was telling him what he saw was real. It was something that would come to pass. For once Bran decided to trust his gut over his brain.

"So say I believe you. What do we do now? I do not want my sister to get hurt." Bran said.

"All that we can do is watch. We can't intervene. If we do we could do more damage than good." Bran opened his mouth to argue, but Jojen held up his hand. "I know what you are going to say Bran. You want to protect your sister. But think. What if we intervened and we did more harm than good. There is always a reason to the visions. They connect to a much larger picture. Some things have to just play out."

"But she is my sister. If you had the chance to protect Meera from harm wouldn't you?" Bran asked. H looked at Meera to gage her reaction to him using her that way.

"If I knew that Meera must suffer a minor heartbreak to prevent a larger one in the end I would not do anything. She is strong Bran. Sansa is strong. You must believe she will take care of herself." 

Myrcella

Myrcella had never been happier then she had in the last four days. She and Aegon were happy with each other. She had almost forgotten her infatuation with Gendry. He had been nothing. Aegon was the true one for her. They laughed a lot and he made her feel safe. Laughter and safety was something that had end lacking in her life. Marcella felt free to talk about her life with her family for the first time without fear of violence or denial. She told him the truth about her brother. How he would hit her when he couldn't find someone else to victimize. How he verbally abused her and Tommen in front of their mother, but she did nothing to protect them from his evil. When she had told Aegon about what her brother did to her, what her mother refused to do, he said that he was going to kill the little bastard for hurting her, and make her mother pay for not protecting her children the way a mother should.

She knew the part of her mother turning a blind eye on her behalf had caused him the most anger. He had been orphaned as a small child and so he took the ideas of true family, a mother and father seriously. It pained her to see hurt for her in his eyes, because he knew he was truly powerless to do anything about any of it. And part of her was very worried that he would really do what he said he was going to do to Joffery. Given the chance he would hurt her brother. The other part of her was happy that he was willing to stand up to Joffery for her.

She was not able to see much of him after school due to her dance classes and his band rehearsals. But they talked all the time. And at school they were with each other as much as they could be. They walked with each other between classes, they had lunch with other, and they spent half an hour before her dance classes together. He even drove her to dance classes on his bike. She had to admit that part of the reason that she had started to like him was that bike of his.

But that was not the only reason she liked him. He was also very, very good looking. She loved to just watch him walk. He was tall, near six foot four and lean. He was slender but had muscles. He over like a dancer, but he didn't dance. He was mike a great cat. That is the better analogy for Aegon. He was smooth, but muscular. There was a strength to him as well. She had seen him haul the equipment around, and that stuff could be heavy. Then there was his hair. He kept it short on the sides but long on top. If he wanted to he could make it into a Mohawk if he wanted. It was also white blond. It was probably the reason he had never been on her radar. But then she had touched his hair. It was soft, as soft as silk. After you get past the hair, working down, to his face, that's where the beauty of him truly was. He has lips that were kissable perfect. They were neither red nor pink, but a color in between that were so inviting. Going up from the lips there were his hypnotic lavender steel colored eyes. They looked, to Myrcella, like he had seen things no person should have to see. Fierceness and wisdom fought for dominance. But on top of all that there was his smile. It started on his lips and finished in his eyes. It was truly magical. But Aegon said the same thing about her smile.  

She had not told her parents about him yet, but she had told her uncle Renly. There was no way around that. He had seen her holding hands with Aegon in the hall on Tuesday. She had waited for the rest of the week to hear from her uncle. He had pulled her out of her math class on Thursday to have a 'friendly little chat' with her. She knew it was going to be a talk about Aegon but she had no trepidation that she felt about telling her parents with Aegon whole she walked down the halls to reach her uncles office.

She had walked to his closet of an office off the theater and sat down in the one chair smashed in it. She smiled at him and be beamed over at her. There was a wicked glint in his eye that he got right before he sprung something on her. She was one step ahead this time though. She knew what he wanted to know about and he was going to get the whole truth.  

"So are you going to tell me that you have a boyfriend or am I going to pretend that you do not have one and I just imagined that I saw you holding some boys hand going down the halls?" He asked her right off. He did the thing she thought he would do, give her a choice. Did she, or didn't she?

"I guess I do have a boyfriend." She smiled at Renly and he tried to stand to hug her, but the room was to small he couldn't. Myrcella laughed out loud at her uncles antics. "Do you pull Joffery out of class every time he gets a new girlfriend?" She wanted to know.

"No I don't, but I don't care about him like I do you. You are my niece, almost like a little sister to me. I love you the most. For example, who is the only one in the family that showed up at your first dance recital?" He asked.

"It was you. You gave me the biggest bouquet of roses I have ever seen! I was five year old that thing was bigger than me. But I loved it all the same." She smiled and looked him in the eye. There was love there, but he was acting mote like a father, not an uncle. So she asked him why. "Why the sudden interest in my love life if you don't mind me asking?"

"Because it went from nonexistent to active in a short period of time. I just want to make sure you are safe and with a good guy." Renly said.

She just sat there and smiled at her uncle and did not know what to say. He was more like a father to her than her real father. Renly and Tyrion were always the ones who took a real intrest in her life. Tyrion used to help her with her home work and Renly would cheer her up and take her shopping when things got to bad at home. Her uncles were the best, she loved them more then anyone. She had tears glistening in her eyes at how much she saw her uncle caring for her. Then he got to the root of the issue.

"Has he tried anything?" He asked. Renly was dead serious. He had been the one who had given her 'the talk' when she came of age. And Renly had always stressed to never be with a man who took things faster that she wanted. He was checking on her now. So she told the truth.

"We hold hands, talk a lot, and I go on rides with him on his bike sometimes." She said.

"Well that is good." He looked relieved. "I am glad that you found someone. How much have you told him about what happens at your house?"

This was another worry of her uncles. They hated how the parents treated each other and their children. They couldn't protect them all the time, but they tried. They felt the worst about what Joffery did. That they really couldn't protect Myrcella or Tommen from.

"I haven't told him about my parents, not really. I told him mother doesn't care about anyone but Joff. Everyone knows that. But I have told him about Joffery. About the hitting and the yelling. The threats and the rest. He said he wanted to smash his face in." She let her face go blank. She didn't want him to know how much Aegon's threat to smash up her brother had pleased her. She was worried about what he would say about her telling a relative stranger dark family secrets.

"That worm needs a good thrashing. You should let Aegon do it. He has some pretty strong looking friends too. I am sure that they can help take him." Renly joked.

Myrcella and Renly giggled together for a moment.

"Okay. I just want you to be safe and know that I am here for you if you need anything. Now get back to class. I shouldn't have pulled you out in the first place." Renly said.

At lunch they sat eating in the cafeteria and the group was laughing at what Arya was telling them about what happened in the shop and the sanding that they were doing on the car.

"I was sanding the bottom part of the driver's side of the door and there was Gendry with the electric sander on the hood of the car. He was sanding away when Thoros came walking over and tapped him on the shoulder. Let me tell you if the car wasn't getting all the paint taken off and smoothed out it would need it to be now. And I never would have guessed that this big strong manly guy could scream like a little girl." Arya laughed and the rest of the table did as well.

Myrcella watched as Gendry gave Arya a playful shove and she shoved him back. Arya had called and told her that she was going to dinner with Gendry on Friday and to an artsy thing with Jaqen the next day. She didn't know what Gendry was going to do when he found out that Arya was going on a date with another guy the next day, but that was her business.

She pushed that thought aside and they joked more about normal teenage things. They joked about bad movies, stupid pop stars and the newest fashion trend. Hot Pie was mocking some new cooking show and everything was good. Myrcella was holding Aegons hand and smiling at him when Joffery came over to their table. He sneered at the assembled table and then his eyes hit on Myrcella and her brother get the look on his face that means something bad is going to happen. She scoots closer to Aegon. Joffery noticed and he was like a snake about to go into for the kill.

"So this is the little shit that is dating my sister. And you did think that you could just fuck her without asking me first?" Joffery demanded, leaning down, getting in Aegon's face.

"No it is none of your business that she has a boyfriend. And we are not fucking. You should leave her alone. There are people here and they are watching. Don't do this. Walk away Joffery." Aegon said trying to keep his voice even. Myrcella was gripping his hand and was trying not to crush it.

"You should not talk like that to me, boy. Bad things will happen  to you if you keep talking to me like that. Do you know who I am? I could have you disappear." Joffery threatened.

"There is nothing that you could do to me. I know how to take care of myself and I fight back, not like your usual victims." Aegon spat at him.

Joffery looked at Myrcella and she knew that he was going to use her as a punching bag when they get home from school. There was a rage in his eyes she had never seen before.

"What ever this little bitch here said is a pack of lies. She is nothing but a dirty liar." Joffery spat, spewing venom from his mouth.

"If you touch her it will be the last thing that you do" Aegon threatened reading Jofferys mind.

Myrcellas heart was pounding and she was starting to sweat. This was not going to end up good.

"She is my sister and I can do what I want. And what I want is for you to stay the hell away from my sister, you filthy piece of trash." Joffery said getting more into Aegons face with every word.

"You need to back the fuck away before I demolish that face of yours. I am not kidding." Each word was clipped and forced. "Because unlike you, I learned to fight like a real man. Not by beating up girls and little kids or having other people fight for me." Aegon seethed.

Joffery snapped back away from the words Aegon said and stood at with his face turning red AMD a vein bulging in his head. Myrcella knew that her brother was ready to strike. It all happened so fast. Her brothers hand flew back and he went to slap Aegon, because that's all he knew. Aegon released Myrcellas hand and stood up, hand in a fist and swung his body into a punch. He landed the punch square on Joffery's nose. There was a crunching sound and blood started gushing from his nose.

"Hound get him. Beat the shit out of that little dick" Joffery screeched. He had his hand holding his nose, trying to stop the bleeding and the nasally voice Joffery had was even more pronounced. Sandor stood at his table, shielding Sansa from the view. He shook his head. He would not come to aide Joffery. So he tried to make another smack at Aegon.  

Then the teachers were suddenly between Joffery and Aegon. Joffery screamed that Aegon started it all. That he was the innocent victim there. Everyone at Myrcellas table yelled that this was a lie. Joffery was the one that started it. Since no one could be understood everyone was taken out of the cafeteria to be questioned. She walked with Aegon tears streaming down her face out of the cafeteria down the halls to an empty class room to try to get the true story.

Renly came running over to her as she was being escorted out of the room. He immediately put his arms around his niece. Just because she was safe in her uncles arms she wouldn't cry. He looked at Aegon over the top of her head and smiled.

"Good job kid. I hoped that you messed up that pretty face of his." Renly said giving Aegon a squeeze on the arm.

"Is he going to get in trouble? It was not his fault. He was protecting me, and Joffery was going to hit one of us. Honest uncle Renly. He was going to do something to hurt us." Myrcella cried. "We have witnesses."

"So does he Myrcella. And I bet that he and his friends are going to say that I hit him just for the hell of it. It is okay sweetheart. Everything will be okay." Aegon said. She went from her uncle to her boyfriend. She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. He was her rock, her happy place. With him things were bright. Right?

Myrcella knew that it was not going to be okay. Nothing was. Joffery just had to mess with her happiness and destroy it. That was what he did. He took what you liked most and poisoned it.

"No matter what happens, we do this together." She said to his chest.

"No matter what." He kissed the top of her head. Then they walked hand in hand together to face the music. It felt like it was going to be a sick song and she knew it would be a sick dance to come.


	13. Blackwater Bonfire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I generally have been adding about 4000 words to the last 7 or 8 chapters, so lets see if I can break 10000 words this chapter! And I would like to send lots of love to my new beta Charlotte1093. She's going to be helping me out on the grammar and spelling aspects of the story. I must admit I get lost in my bulking up of the chapters so I forget to really go for that stuff. But thanks to her I will have that stiff looked over and we will make this lump of cole into a diamond.

Myrcella

Her life at home since the fight had been beyond miserable. Joffrey terrorized her waking hours when they were at home at the same time. He didn't touch her, but he did verbally abuse her. He called her every awful thing in the world. He even did this with their mother sitting right next to her at breakfast the morning after the fight. Cersei was probably punishing her for her involvement in the situation.

When her parents were told about the incident at the school her mother had gone ballistic. She was afraid that she was going to scratch the principles eyes out when he told her that there were witnesses stating that Joffrey was going to strike Aegon or Myrcella, and that Aegon hit him in self-defense. The worst was when Cersei had been told　that Joffrey was suspended until Monday – she looked like she would kill someone. Her once lovely face went furiously red with and her hands were clenched in fists. She was shaking with rage.

She turned and looked at Myrcella and snapped, "What the hell have you done?"

Myrcella felt as if her mother had slapped her with those six words. Tears had streamed down her face and she turned back to her uncle.

"For God's sake, Cersei. She has done nothing wrong. Lay off the poor girl and take a look at that son of yours. He is the one who called _your_ daughter a whore. _He_ is the one who started everything.　And you go and ask _her_ what she has done? What kind of a mother are you?" Renly said, his voice seething with barely contained rage.

"If she had just kept her legs shut none of this would have happened! Her brother would have not felt the need to protect her." Cersei snapped.

"Fuck that, you blind bitch. Myrcella is a good kid. It’s that son, that parasitic psychopath son who is to blame. Everyone in this room here knows it – even you do! You’re just too stupid to admit it! Pull your head out of your ass and be the mother your daughter needs." Renly snapped, getting into Cersei's face. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off.

"That is enough! You all shut your bloody mouths.　This is not the time or the place to have this talk.　We’ll deal with this when we get home. I _will_ get to the bottom of this and the punishments for Joffrey do not start just at being suspended!" Robert had finally spoken up. He continued to glare at his wife. "Let's go everyone. I am sure that this matter is as good as settled?" Robert asked the principle.

"Yes, Mr. Baratheon. The other boy has been sent to detention for the remainder of the week." The principle said.

"Why does that boy get detention while my son, who was the _victim_ , gets suspended?" Cersei demanded.

The principle dabbed his sweaty brow with a crumpled handkerchief.

"Aegon was not the aggressor of the incident, and by all accounts he was protecting your daughter." The principle said, shifting from one foot to the other as Cersei towered above him.

"I do not understand the way this school allows its shining star students to be bullied and abused by delinquents. It is unacceptable. I’ll be taking this matter to the school board. You will definitely be hearing more from me sir. My son is innocent.　I’ll go get Joffrey from the nurse." Cersei swept out of the office like a bat out of hell.

"Renly bring Myrcella. The cars are waiting outside." Robert sighed.

She was numb as her uncle walked her to the car. Robert stayed behind and talked to the principle. Out in the car her uncle sat beside her. Renly had his arm around her and was telling her that everything would be alright. Her father came into the car with three files under his arm. She saw that Joffrey's name was on the thickest file. Myrcella suspected it was all the bad things he had done. She now figured the other two were hers and Aegon's. Cersei and Joffrey came out of the school last. They piled into the car and first thing out of her brothers mouth was a threat.

"If I ever see you with that guy again, I will see that you both will suffer." Joffrey held a bloody cloth still pressed to his face.

"Enough of that, boy! We will talk more once we get home, and if I hear another word like that out of your mouth aimed at your sister I will finish what that boy started. Now everyone shut the fuck up until we get to the Keep." Robert roared into the car. His son and wife slinked back into their seats. Myrcella slid closer to her uncle and smiled about Joff getting told off.　

When they got home her mother tried to get Myrcella to admit that she was the one who started the whole fight and that Joffrey had done nothing wrong. When she had said that her brother was the one who started it, even with him sitting right there glaring at her, she still held her ground. Then her mother changed tactics. Her mother demanded she break up with Aegon. She had sat there and let her mother yell and rage at her for a whole hour before Robert finally put a stop to his wife's ravings.

"Leave the poor girl alone. I believe what they said. I believe that Joffrey did what they said he did. I want him grounded. He was going to hurt your daughter in public. I suspect that it would not be the first time the little shit had hit her, it was probably just the first time that he had to face someone who fought back. He is not going to play in this week’s game, watch it or go to any parties after it." He looked at his son. Joffrey's face was purple with rage.

Myrcella was amazed that her father was sticking up for her. He’d never done that for her before and she was immensely thankful for him now. This was the second time in one day. Maybe he wasn't as blind as they all thought.

"And she does not have to break things off with that Aegon boy. So there will be nothing more on the matter, woman." Robert walked out of the living room where the conversation had been taking place.

Myrcella just sat there as the rest of her family exited the room. She could not believe that she was being supported by her father. Her head swam and she finally had her courage to look at her phone. Twelve missed calls. One from Hot Pie, nine from Arya and two from Aegon. There were text messages from almost everyone she knew. She checked to make sure that the coast was clear and called Aegon.

"Myrcella, are you okay?" Aegon sounded so worried and her heart leapt. She had not seen him since she had been dragged away to talk to the principle.

"I’m fine. My mother went a little crazy, but she’s always like that when it comes to Joffrey. But my dad stood up for us, for me. We don’t have to break it off." Myrcella said.

"Well it's always good that we don't have to break up! Now do you still want to go to Blackwater with me and watch the band or not? If not, I totally get it. But I'd be honored for you to go with me."

She did not understand why, but that one simple question made her break down in tears. In the end she said she would go. She was happy as long as she was with Aegon. But he couldn't be with her all the time. She needed him at home. But she was content for being with him at school and after.

 

Friday found her at Hot Pie's house watching the guys load everything into the van. Beric was ordering everyone around. He was telling them where to put the speakers, the drums, the guitar. He was like a little dog hyped up on sugar. Thoros had told Aegon and Myrcella that Arya and Gendry would be meeting them at the Bay. They all piled into the vehicles. Myrcella rode on the bike with her boyfriend and felt like freedom. It was an hour from Kings Landing and she enjoyed every moment of it. They got there too soon for her liking.

"Alright boys, they have the stage already up and sound wired for us, but I don't completely trust these asses to have things right. We have an hour till the game is done to perfect things. Now get this right: we are one man down for setup. You _all_ have to work double time.　Aegon, I am talking to you! You do not get to slack off just cause your girlfriend is here." Beric was warming up on one of his many pre show rants. Myrcella knew the signs so she tried to cut him off before he got his wind behind him.

"Beric, what can I do to help?" She popped up.

He stumbled at her soft voice. He clearly was not used to being interrupted. He blinked and looked at her for the first time all night.

"You? Well, um, yes. You could help. Do you know anything about computers? If you do, would you be able to sync up our songs to some lights? The set list is there on the dash of the van." He still looked confused.

"I can do that." She beamed at Aegon and he smiled at her. She was trying to be helpful, thus winning over Beric.

She went over, got the list and went to work on the computer. She knew all the songs but one. She went over and asked Aegon what was with the new song. All he said was that it was sort of a surprise. She shrugged her shoulders and went back to work. She set up the lights to the set list and then went to find Aegon.　

"Alright, I have finished the lights to the songs. If they mess up, I take full responsibility for it with Beric. Now, are we still going for that long drive in the country tomorrow?" She asked.

"Would you settle for a drive along the coast?" He brushed the hair from her face and smiled at her.

"I like the sound of that." She leaned over and gave him a soft kiss. It was the first time they had kissed on the lips and she was happy to find that he had soft lips and was a good kisser.

"Okay, none of that now. We have a show to do. Stop sucking face and get this crap set up. We have twenty minutes till the game is done and music starts playing from these speakers." Beric barked.

"It’s just a bit of pre-show kisses for good luck. Give the kids a break." Thoros called from his keyboard.

"But if I do let them have fun they get distracted and play like shit." He snapped.

"Calm down there buddy, we’re going to be great!" Thoros shouted again from his keyboard.

"I am not worried about you, Hot Pie and myself – it’s the idiot over there and the one who is on his way here that I am worried about. Women mess with the music. Everyone knows that." Beric snapped.

"Cool your jets man. Nothing’s going to happen to mess with our jam." Hot Pie called from his drum set.

"Fine, but we start sound check in five minutes, with or without Gendry. Stop messing around and do it." The lead singer shouted to his band.

"Beric is a slave driver – I don't see anything else that needs to be done." Myrcella said to Aegon.

"He takes his 'craft' very seriously. Did I tell you that he stole a poem from Arya from our poetry class? He put it to some music and we are going to be playing it tonight." Aegon said.

"So about this secret song, where did it come from?" She asked.

"To be honest it is a piece of Arya's from our Creative Writing class. He sort of stole it from Arya and set it to music without her knowing." Aegon looked down at his shoes.

"She is going to kill someone when she hears it. He knows that right?" She asked.

"He is hoping she won't notice." Aegon chuckled.

"Then I will definitely be staying around to watch the show." Myrcella smiled at him.

They kissed one last time before they were caught and had to go back to work.

 

Arya

 

When she had told her father about her 'date' with Gendry for Friday he only seemed amused. Arya had pictured him demanding to know everything there was to know about the boy who　dared to ask his daughter out, but he just smiled and said that it was all fine with him. She suspected that Jon had already called him and told him that she had a 'date'. She also suspected that Jon　had told her father　pretty much everything she had said to Jon about Gendry. She hoped that Jon liked what he heard about Gendry and talked him up. But when she told him about going to the art opening with Jaqen he had been completely unprepared for that. She guessed that Jon had not mentioned that part. When he asked her if she was dating two boys at once she quickly said she was neither of their girlfriend, just their friend.

"Then why are you going on a date with them both?" Her father looked very confused.

"Jon told me to go on a date with them, as friends. Then I spend time with them, get to know them and then pick the one who I want to be in a relationship with."

Her father walked away from her then. He was muttering under his breath. Some words she caught. Others she didn't. So it wounded like he said, "Dumb advice. Jon. Grey hair. Daughters. Need a drink." Arya shook her head watching him leave her alone to get dressed for the night.

At six thirty, Arya went down the stairs to wait for Gendry. She stood in the family room and waited. She was full of nervous energy and was pacing. She didn't understand why she was so amped up. She never usually let her nerves get the better of her. She should not have said yes to going out with Gendry. Or Jaqen either. She had butterflies in her stomach tonight. If she got them tomorrow she would swear off dating, forever. She didn't like this feeling of uncertainty.

"Arya what are you wearing?" Ned asked peering into the room on his way to his study across the hall.

Arya looked down at her outfit. She had done what Sansa had told her to do to the letter. The outfit, hair and makeup were all Sansa's idea. Her sister said it was the best outfit for her to wear on a not-date, so she wore it. She was in a long sleeved purple V-neck sweater, a black denim skirt, grey tights and calf high boots. She had a cropped black leather jacket slung over the chair with her purse. Her hair was down and curling around her face. She had a black headband on to keep her hair in place. She has makeup on as well, even eyeliner and lip stick. She had done everything Sansa had suggested. Arya hoped she had not messed up the make-up, or what they had planned for the outfit. She thought she looked nice.

"What do you mean dad? I’m wearing clothes. Is there something wrong with what I’m in?" She asked anxiously. For some reason she wanted his approval.

"Um, no. I just never figured that you would dress up to go out to dinner with a friend." He chuckled as he walked into his office. That's all she got from him. She was now nervous about what she was wearing. She went back to her nervous pacing. Ten to seven there was a ping from her purse. She pounced on it and pulled the phone out. It was a text from Gendry. All it said was _Here._ She went and looked out the window. Gendry was getting out of the car and walking to the door. She raced to the door and opened it before he had a chance to knock.

He stood in the halo of the porch light. His hair was combed and he had washed the oil out from his fingernails. He had a blue sweater on that really set off his eyes matched with a charcoal colored linen jacket and jeans. He had on the same scruffy boots he always wore and she smiled. She loved the boots. They were so him.

"Hey." He said with a nervous smile on his face. His hands were in his pockets and he was rocking back and forward on his feet.

"Hi" She said back. For some reason she was shy. She had just seen him at school earlier that day. Everything had been normal that day. Why did it feel so weird now? "Come on in. I need to get my bag and jacket. Oh and my dad does want to meet you."

"But at lunch today you said that you were joking." He stopped following her into the house.

"Don't worry Gendry. I do not intend to hurt you. I just want to know who is brave enough to take out my Little Wolf." Ned said from the doorway of his office. "I am Eddard Stark. Nice to meet you." He walked halfway to where the two teenagers were standing.

Gendry cleared his throat and walked the rest of the way to Ned to shake his hand. Arya watched how they squeezed hands but not too tightly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Stark." Gendry said. He was nervous, but Arya was pleased to see that he held her father’s gaze steady.

"Well Dad you have meet him and seen how _brave_ he is, so can we go now?" Arya warily asked. She walked back in to the family room and could hear Gendry and her dad talking.

"So I hear you are helping her fix up Jon's present?" Ned was asking.

"Yeah, we are working it together. I don't have much else to do now that I am all done with my car. So I get to work on a car and show Arya the right way to fix them." Gendry said laughing.

"I won't tell her brothers that you said that. If they ever heard you say that they would pounce on you and wipe the floor with you." Ned said laughing right along with Gendry.

"I don't want that to happen. If they are anything like Arya I am sure they would wipe the floor with me." They both laughed at that remark.

Arya was surprised to see how well her dad was getting along so well with Gendry. She saw how much her father liked him. Arya figured that Gendry reminded her of her older brothers, she knew that her father missed his sons more than he was letting on. She felt that given the chance, Ned would use Gendry as a surrogate son for the three that he left up North.

"Come by anytime Gendry. I am sure that Arya’s younger brother Rickon would love to watch you work on a car like he did with his brothers back home." Ned smiled at Gendry and they shook hands again.

"I think I could do that, Mr. Stark." Gendry beamed at her father.

"Call me Ned. You have fun and remember you have to be home by one, Arya." He shouted at her as she walked out the door.

"I know dad. I love you." She said as she headed to the door.

"Love you too sweetheart," her father called as they shut the door behind him.

Arya walked beside him to his car in the driveway. They were close. She could feel him walking beside her. She felt this urge to reach out her hand and take his in her. What was she thinking? She never felt compelled to take a boys hand before. Thankfully that need passed as they were close to the car. She reached out for the car door and opened it before he had the chance to open the car door for her. She shot him a glance and all she saw was a smile on his face. Was he smiling because he knew she wouldn't let him open the door for her or because she beat him to it? She slid　into the car and buckled before he got into his side. Gendry turned the car on and it roared to life. She loved the way the engine purred to life. They drove away from their house which she dubbed Winterfell 2.0. There was a strained silence in the car as they drove to the restaurant that Gendry had suggested. It was not a long drive and the place was tiny, but smelled heavenly of exotic spices and long lost secrets. The hostess seated them at a table in the furthest corner from both the door and the kitchen.

They took their seats across from each other. She didn't know what to do. She lifted her napkin off her plate, moved her water glass and kept her elbows off the table. Despite how much she railed against everything she had been taught as a girl she could remember some form of etiquette. She decided to pick up her menu. Nothing said distraction like reading a menu. She was not hiding behind a menu. No she was not.

"So this place is nice." She said to break the pressing silence.　

"I love this place. The food’s great and cheap. Your dad seems like a really cool guy. You are lucky. I don't know my dad. So it’s pretty great to see a dad that wants to be with his kid." Gendry said as he placed his napkin on his lap. There was a cloud hanging over his face when he mentioned he didn't know his father. She had not known that. But then again she really didn't know much about him to begin with.

"My dad's the greatest." She said the only thing that she could think of. "I get along with him a lot better than I do with my mother. She’s a bit of a snob. I have to say that just by looking at you she wouldn't like you much. You’re much too scruffy for her. She’s way more protective than my father. He at least gives a guy a chance to prove himself and doesn't just look at the outer package." Arya said looking at the menu. Her face blushed slightly when she said the word package. She had noticed how his bulged when she was in shop with him. The first time she notices she realized it was when she took her top off under her coveralls and left it slightly unzipped. Now that's how she always wore it in shop class.

"So you are saying that she wouldn't love me and my package at first sight? I am pretty impressive." He smiled at her and she nearly choked on her water.

"Maybe if you were gay. Otherwise ‘love’ is not the right word to use. Tolerate is more like it. She would tolerate you." Arya said distracted by the different food options. There were many different kinds of curry, Thai BBQ, veggie dishes she had never heard of and her favorite thing – Pad Thai. It all looked so good. She didn't know what to pick and for once didn't have to pretend to be distracted.

"Well, who said I wasn't gay?" Gendry's calm cool voice asked her from across the table.

Arya lowered the menu and looked over at Gendry. He sat across from her smiling, his hands folded on top of the menu. Arya honestly could not decide if he was kidding or telling the truth. His face was utterly blank. She thought back to the times they spent together and their kiss flashed vividly. A gay boy would not kiss a girl that way.

"No one. But if you are gay then why did you invite me out tonight? Why did you kiss me?" She tilted her head to the side and batted her eyelashes at him. She tried for innocent and confused.

He leaned closer to her across the table and dropped his voice to a whisper. She had to lean in just to hear him. She watched his mouth as he talked.

"I think we both know that I'm not gay. I can prove it to you if you want." It was his turn to bat his lashes. He licked his lips and she watched every move of his tongue. She wanted to lean in and press her mouth to his. Tangle her hands in his dark hair. She sat back feeling uncomfortable again. Arya gave a nervous laugh. He knew he was making her uncomfortable. Gendry sat back across from her and just smiled. He had won that round.

"Not right now, maybe later. You can prove it till you are blue in the face or other parts. Now let’s change the subject. Tell me about you."

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. I want to know everything." She honestly said.

"Okay then. I will tell you about me if you return the favor." He stuck his hand out to shake hands on their deal. She grabbed his and they shook. They talked until the waitress took their order, they talked while they ate. They just talked and it was amazing.

Sansa

In the days since the fight she had felt free. Joffrey was suspended from school and she didn't feel the need to be perfect all the time. She really got to know people. She was fast becoming friends with Margery Tyrell, the captain of the cheer squad. Without Joffrey there, lunch time and the short moments between classes were less strained for everyone. She liked that Sandor was the one who walked her to class and they were able to have full conversations without interruption. She was able to let people she liked be noticed without some snide comment from Joffrey about how the collective group around him was nothing but boot lickers and wannabes. It was a perfect two days.

But Friday was the big game. She dressed in her cheer uniform and went out with the rest of the squad with a feeling of trepidation in her heart. How would the Knights play without　their quarterback? She should not have worried. The football game was turning out better then everyone was expecting. Sansa had thought that the team would be playing badly without their quarterback, but they were playing better than they had with Joffrey. When he had been suspended, Sansa, as well as the rest of the student body, had felt that they were going to lose the playoffs. But she had forgotten one important thing – Joffrey was not the real leader of the team, Sandor was.

Even with the second string quarterback, they were kicking ass. They had scored nine touch downs and had not let the other team score at all. Sansa’s voice was hoarse from all the yelling she had done. She was pumped that they had won. When the clock finally ran out of time and the other team had walked off their own field in defeat Sansa was on the field first to congratulate the players, with the rest of the cheer team following closely on her heels to congratulate their victorious team.

"They played so fucking good tonight." Margaery said jumping up and down with Sansa.

"They sure did. They didn't even need Joffrey." Sansa said.

"The team is not the only one that doesn't need him. How can you still be with him after what he did to Aegon and Myrcella?" Margaery asked.

Sansa decided to ignore her friend as she cheered for the football players. She’d had the same argument with Arya the night of the incident. She’d thought they really had made headway into being sisters, but her refusal to break things off with Joffrey had killed all the goodwill the sisters had begun to make with each other. Things had gone from good to bad with her sister in just a few seconds. Sansa did not want to think about it. She threw herself into cheering for the Knights victory.

Sandor was making his way through the crowd to get to the locker room. He didn’t seem to notice the congratulations and pats on the back. He looked very distracted. Sansa went and stood right in his path so that he practically ran her over in his effort to leave the field.

"You played really great tonight." Sansa said after they righted themselves from their collision.

"Thanks. It was nothing when there wasn't any interference going on, on the field." He sounded distracted. "So are you going to the party at Blackwater still?"

"Yeah. Joffrey is going to be there and if I don't go he will get angry. He has been sensitive since the incident the other day. I don't want to make his bad mood worse by not showing up. And Arya said something about there being live music for a little while and I want to see who’s playing." She said. They started to walk to the locker rooms to change.

"Do you know where it is?" He asked as they stood outside the doors to the locker rooms assigned to their gender.

"Margaery is going to be driving with me. She knows the way." She wanted to say something cool, but all words froze in her mouth.

"Okay, I guess I will see you there then." He turned and went to change.

She went into the locker room in a haze. She was pleased the team had won, but she was confused. Inside the girls locker room there was a celebratory air to the girls. They were all still pumped that their team had won and that they are still in the playoffs. If they win the next game they are the district champs then they go on to the state championship!

Sansa grabbed her gym bag and went into a stall to change. She had been told to stay in her uniform, but it was starting to get too cold to stay in the uniform when she was not cheering. She put on some jeans and a sweater and was tying up her shoes when she heard voices talking outside her stall.

"So are you still going to be meeting that QB from the other team at that party tonight?" A girl's voice asked.

"Yeah. I figure I could have some fun with the other team. I have already went and dallied with all the worthwhile guys on our team. This Baratheon guy can't be any worse than them. And it has been a while since I've gotten any. It's been a whole week, can you believe it?" This girl had a smoky voice.

Sansa just stood there in the stall frozen. Had she heard right? Was one of the girls out there talking about having sex with her boyfriend at the party tonight? She could not believe it! There was no way that Joffrey could do that to her, _or was there?_ She had heard about things that he had done to his past girlfriends, but everyone said that she was different. There had to be a mistake. She had just heard things.

She walked out of the stall and past the girls standing at the sinks talking. She didn't even stop to look at them. She just walked right out the locker room and waited by the door for Margaery to come out.

"Hey, Sansa. There you are. Are you feeling okay? You are as white as a sheet. I mean  you’re even whiter than normal." Margaery asked, concern for her friend coloring her voice.

"Yeah I am fine, just a little tired is all." She lied.

"Well then we better get going." Margaery took hold of Sansa’s arm and took her out to where Sansa had parked her car. "Okay, so take the freeway out till you see the signs that say Blackwater Bay. I will tell you when to go from there."

Sansa drove her car the way Margery directed. Margaery talked on and on about noting important and tried get Sansa to talk too. Sansa gave it a halfhearted attempt to reply to her friend, but she couldn't get into it. She was not in the best of mood when they got to the turn off to where the party was taking place. Once she got to the place that the other cars were parked, she and Margaery got out and walked to the large blazing fire made up of drift wood. They waved to their friends and many people came rushing up to say hello to Sansa.

"Sansa did you hear? The band that is playing is Aegon’s band! He's here with Myrcella. Your boyfriend will flip his lid! Joffrey is over by the keg. He hasn't seen them yet. What are you going to do?" A junior girl came rushing up breathless and asked her stupid question, obviously hoping to get some juicy gossip to spread around.

"Joffrey is his own person. He will do what he wants to do.　I　hope that he won't do anything too foolish tonight. I plan on enjoying the party, that’s all."　Sansa said curtly.

The younger girl walked off disappointed that Sansa had not given her more of a response. Sansa scanned the party and she indeed saw Myrcella with Aegon by the stage as they set up to play. Arya was there with Gendry. Her sister looked happy, like a cat that ate the canary. Sansa continued to scan the people around her and on the other side of the fire was the keg.

Joffrey was there just like the girl said. He had a red cup in his hand and he was drinking fast. He had a sloppy smile on his face and it seemed that he was joking with the jocks around him. She decided that she better go over to him and get this part of her evening over with.

"Hi, Joffrey. I thought you were grounded?" She went and stood in front of him. He savagely grabbed her and gave her a slobbery kiss and a grope on the bottom.

"They couldn't keep me home. My mother took care of my father. She got him pissed, so he went out. Then I just walked out the front door. Where were you? What have you been doing? I have been here for almost an hour, alone. Why were you not here as soon as I got here?" He demanded.

"I was at the game. Cheering, remember? I had to cheer." She said. Sansa wanted to put some distance between them; but he kept her pressed to him. He even had his hand in her back pocket.

"Oh yeah. I forgot there was game tonight.  And I told you to stay in your uniform whenever you wore it for a game. You should do as you are told Sansa! Now get away from me for a little while. You’ve pissed me off, reminding me about the game. I just want to drink and not be distracted by you." He gave her another slobbery kiss and patted her ass again in a dismissal.

Sansa walked away and didn't look back. So much for a normal life. She had just gotten sucked into the Joffrey show. She just wanted to go home. But then the band started playing. There were really very good. So she found a car, Sandor’s, sat on the hood and enjoyed the music. Sandor walked over to her with a Pepsi for her. She took it and drank. She smiled at him.

"They are pretty good." Sansa said when their first song was over.

"They’re alright. I like how they mix the classic rock with modern stuff. I think they could make it, you know?" Sandor kept giving her little looks at her. They were so easy together.

She heard Joffrey laughing from the keg and she got angry. Sandor opened his mouth to speak, but the band started up again. Sansa was happy he couldn't talk. She would have ended up telling him about the girl she had overheard talking about doing it with Joffrey locker room after the game. But she was afraid to see his reaction. She knew Joffrey bragged to Sandor about very thing. If what those girls were talking about was going to happen, she was not sure she wanted to know. So for the time being she would sit and enjoy the music.

Gendry

He had really enjoyed his date with Arya. They ate good food, had a great conversation full of innuendos, but the thing that he could not get out of his head was the part about him proving to her he was not gay. Gendry tried to forget the　tit for tat deal he had made with Arya. She was too interested about his life.　The talk had still been amazing, but more personal then he would have dreamed of. He found out more about her then he had dreamed possible in one night. By the end of the evening he had just the idea of how to　prove he wasn't gay to her. The only thing he could think of was to stick his tongue down her throat and grind her hard against a tree.

They had finished their meal and Gendry was completely full. He loved the Thai BBQ chicken that they served. Arya’d had Pad Thai and they bad both eaten everything off their plates. He paid the check and they started to head to the party. They made their way to the car and were buckled in. They pulled onto the road. They rode happily while Arya played on his IPod. She made fun of some of his music until finally settling on Mumford and Sons. They sang and rocked out until they were half a mile from the party. Then Arya had hit him with a mac truck of some news. They were in his car and were both bitching about how cold it was in there. He was unprepared for the news.

"I am going to a gallery opening tomorrow with Jaqen." Arya said in an offhand-ish way.

"Oh? Like on a date or a project for your art class?" Gendry tried to make his voice sound casual.

"We are just going as friends." She said quickly.

"Oh, well have a good time then. But since you are out with me tonight, let's not talk about tomorrow." Gendry tried to sound positive.

"I can do that." She said with that smile that could make him weak in the knees.

He tried to forget that tomorrow she would be with that weird man. That he would be graced with her smiles and Gendry knew each word Jaqen said would be dripped in honey. That the creep had said he would have her in the end, no matter what. Gendry wanted to tell her not to go out with Jaqen tomorrow, that there was something not right with him. But he knew he had to let her decide what needed to know. But he would not let her go without a fight. Je would be there, always. To protect her from the shadows he had seen in the other man’s eyes. He tried to play it cool and changed the subject.

"I want to let you know that we will be doing some new songs here tonight. I hope that you like them. There is one that I think that you really will love." Gendry told him trying to steer the conversation away from Jaqen.

"Really? Beric finished his new songs?" She asked.

"Yeah. They are very good." He said with a smile tugging at his lips. She had no idea that one of the new songs was one that Beric had stolen from her.

They got to the party and went to where the stage was all set up. Myrcella and Aegon were there already as were the rest of the guys. He hoped that there wouldn't be a fight breaking out between Aegon and Joffrey again. He suspected that Joffrey would not retaliate personally, but would have one of his lackeys do the hurting. It had taken everything in him, and Arya's hand on his leg, from jumping up when that little worm’s hand reared back to strike Myrcella. He had always thought of her as a sister. If he ever had one he would protect her, not attack her like Joffrey did.

"You're late!" Beric yelled as soon as they got in Beric's line of sight.

"We were at dinner Beric. You knew that I was going to be a little late. Keep your shirt on." Gendry hollered.

Gendry went to setting his equipment set up. Arya assisted him in his set up. They had a great time. He kept finding ways to touch her that he never had a chance to in school. He showed her how to get the amps put up right, where the cords to go where. She did not pull away from his touches so he took confidence in each one. By the time Beric snapped at them all again Gendry had decided that he was going to make his move on Arya. He was going to make her forget Jaqen. Not by being deceitful, but by being kind and seductive. Music was his weapon. He would woo her with his playing and his kiss.

Beric kicked the girls off the stage and he told them all that it was time to start. He signaled the band to start playing and play they did. They were hour into the set when Beric said that they were going to play something new. Gendry glanced sideways and looked at Arya. She was in the sidelines of the stage. He played the opening cords of the song, Thoros started to play his keyboard, Hot Pie started on the drums and Aegon strummed his base. Arya was swaying and slightly dancing with Myrcella. Then Beric opened his mouth and started to sing. Arya's eyes lit with recognition. She recognized the words and was angry. He could tell from the stage she was pissed.

Gendry watched as Myrcella had to restrain Arya from barreling on stage and strangling Beric. Gendry could only laugh and hope that Beric got away from Arya as fast as he could before she got her hands on him. They played the song to the end. At the end of the song Beric said that they were going to take a small break and that they would be right back. The people at the party were going crazy and wanted more of what they had to play.

Arya came strolling on stage with an evil gleam in her eye and walked right up to Beric. He did not know her well enough to know that he was going to get punched, hard, right in the stomach. That's just what she did. She held out her right hand to the singer but her left hand was balled into a fist. She let it fly to his gut. The rest of them just laughed as well as the people who were looking at the stage. After the punch in the gut Beric stood doubled over and Arya walked back to the wings of the stage.

Gendry went and put his arm around the singer and helped him stand.

"You should have known that she would react that way. Just be happy that she went for the gut not the throat." He tried to comfort his winded friend.

"Shut up Gendry." Beric crooked.

Gendry went over to Arya and they just smiled at each other.

"I tried to tell you, you know. In the car." Gendry smiled at her.

"No you didn't. If you really wanted to warn me you would have just said it." Arya huffed.

"I could have, but where is the fun in that?" Gendry raised his brow at her and walked away.

Bran

Bran felt bad for deceiving his parents, but as Theon said there was no other time to be young as when you are young. He had told his parents that he was going to stay over at Jojen’s house, which he was. But he had not told them that he would be going to the party that the girls were going to be at. He knew that they figured that he was too young and that they would not allow him to go. So he deceived them and went out with his friend.

Bran did not want his sisters to know that he was there, so he decided to borrow something from Jojen and put on a hat. He would use his skills as a fledgling actor to hide himself.

Meera almost peed herself as she laughed when she saw him. He looked like he did when he was in his brother's clothes. They were all too big for him. When he put the hat on his head he was laughed at to no end.

"If you’re finished laughing can we get going? It’s getting late and I know that they must already be there by now." Bran said.

"Keep your pants on. I mean it, do you have a belt or something." Meera said.

"Jojen didn’t give me one." Bran huffed.

"Well I’ll go get you one." Meera said.

"I didn't think that you needed one." Jojen said.

Meera returned and handed　a slim black belt to Bran. He eyed it with distaste but threaded it into his pants.

"Can we go now? I want to make sure my sister is okay." Bran started to walk away from the two Reeds.

The Reeds hurried after Bran to the car and they piled in. It took them forty-five　minutes to get to where the party was being held. They parked the car and got out. They kept to the fringes of the party and Bran was able to see Sansa. She was talking to Margaery. She looked a little upset but was pretending that she was fine. Sandor was not too far away from her.

"There she is. She is not crying yet." Jojen said. "We got here in time. And there is the Hound. Bran, tell me again, was Sandor menacing or protecting Sansa?"

"I don't know. She was by the fire crying then Joffrey was there then the shadow sort of became a hound. I don't know what that means." Bran said.

He heard the band, the singer said that they were going to play something new and then they started to play. They had gotten better since the last time he had heard them play. He saw Arya with Myrcella standing off to the side of the stage. They both were watching the band with looks of glee and delight on their faces. Then once the song ended her sister sucker punched the singer. The crowd loved it. But Bran knew it was just like Arya to sack a singer. He couldn't take this. Arya was fine for tonight. It was Sansa he was here to watch.

"We need to find Joffrey." Bran said.

They spread out and went in search for him. Bran walked around the fire in a wide circle and came back to the place that they had started and waited for the others to come back too. Meera was the first one to return.

"He was not over by the keg, or the trees. He was not by his car either." Meera said.

"Jojen has not come back yet. Let's just keep an eye on my sister and see if she goes somewhere." Bran said.

Jojen came back looking angry and slightly sick.

"Well I found him, but I wish that I hadn't. I saw a lot more of him then I ever wanted." Jojen looked half sick.

"What was he doing? Taking a pee by the lake?" Meera asked.

"Not peeing, screwing." Jojen said.

"We better not let Sansa walk in on that. That would be the reason for her crying in your vision" Meera said turning to look at Bran. "Are you sure that you don't want her to know that you are here?"

"Yes. She can't know that we are here." Bran insisted.

Bran looked over to where he had last seen his sister, but she was no longer there.

 

Sandor

 

He had watched Joffrey most of the night. It seemed to him that he had forgotten that he was going to have sex with some tramp that he met online. He was slightly relaxed most of the night. He was happy about the win and about the fact that he didn't have to hear any bitching and crying from Joffrey during the game. He was thankful that he had not been there in the stands.

He noticed that Sansa would go find Joffrey every half an hour or so and stay with him for fifteen minutes at a time. They needed the distance and she needed to see what a fool that he really was.

He had decided that he would go along with Joffrey’s plan to keep her away from him while he was with the other girl, not for him, but so she didn't get hurt. It was the only thing that he could do.

When the band took a break and Sandor saw the younger Stark girl punch the singer and walk away with a satisfied smile on her face. He noticed that Joffrey had walked off to the lake. Sandor knew that he was going to meet the girl. Sandor looked around to see where Sansa was. He saw her by the fire and decided to edge closer to her.

She was talking with Margaery about some chick lit book that they had both read. He was not interested in what they were saying and wandered off a few feet to look up at the stars. He was looking up at the big dipper and thinking about last weekend. He had only been looking at the sky for a few moments and then he went to scan the crowd to see where Sansa was. She was no longer by the fire so he went in search of her.

He found Margaery and asked her where Sansa was.

"She got a text from Arya and went to the lake. She seemed slightly upset. She kept saying something about making sure Arya was okay. She was out on a first date." She said. "Why?"

"Nothing. I want to ask her something about our lit homework." Sandor said as he walked away to the lake.

He saw Arya with Sansa walking along the lake and rushed over to the girls. He did not want Sansa to see Joffrey.

"Sansa wait up." Sandor shouted.

"Sandor want are you doing?" She sounded surprised to see him.

"I am just taking a walk."　Sandor didn't know where Joffrey was so he wanted to lead her away from the lake. "Do you want to go back to the party? I really like the band. You too Arya. You should come too.' He put in as an afterthought.

"We were talking Sandor. Sister stuff. Is it important?" Sansa asked.

"It is. I just have a few questions. It won't take that long." Sandor said. He knew that he was stretching the truth, but he wanted to do whatever he could to stop Sansa from being hurt. He knew that if she saw what Joffrey was doing then she would be devastated.

"Alright, I’ll come with you. But please make it quick. I will be there in a moment Arya." She looked at her sister and then walked over to Sandor.

"Thanks for coming with me. I just have a few things that I want…" He didn't get to finish his sentence.

There was a yell from the trees. He knew that Arya had stumbled upon Joffrey and the other girl. He should have insisted that she come too, but he had forgotten about her in his haste to get Sansa away. Sansa went running to the sound of her sister's scream. Sandor went after Sansa.

He found Arya in a clearing where Joffrey and some unknown girl were standing arranging her clothing. Arya was yelling at Joffrey. Joffrey was yelling back.

"You scum! You cheating piece of shit!" Arya screeched.

"Get out of here bitch!" Joffrey shot back.

Arya flew across the clearing and slapped Joffrey in the face. Joffrey drew back his hand to strike Arya but she hit him again. Then Sansa started yelling.

"Stop, stop this!" She sounded close to tears. "Just stop."

Arya backed away from Joffrey but he grabbed her hair to stop her from walking away. He pushed her to the ground. He aimed a kick at her side and Sandor went to stop him. Sandor was there between Arya's body on the ground and Joffrey booted foot. Arya rolled away　but she stayed on her knees. Sansa was yelling from the corner of the clearing. Sandor noticed nothing else, standing between Sansa and Joffrey.

The scuffle had drawn the attention of a crowd. He saw Gendry turn Joffrey around and sucker punch the worm in the stomach. He helped Arya off the ground and she went to stop Gendry from hitting Joffrey. Arya and Gendry walked away and diapered into the trees. Joffrey was bent over breathing roughly. Sansa was crying and Sandor went to put his arm around her. They got away from the group to a place down the lake where someone had made a small fire with drift wood. She sat on a large log.

"You knew. You knew that he would be here with her and that is why you wanted to talk to me. How could you do this to me?" Sansa cried.

"Sansa I am so sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I wanted to protect you." He pleaded with her.

Joffery walked out of the woods and came over to them. He grabbed Sandor by the shoulders and tried to shake him. He was oblivious to his girlfriend on the log by the fire.

"Why did that bitch come and find me. Did you send her?! Did you?" He screamed at him. Then he noticed Sansa. "Stop crying. Nothing happened." He let go of him and went to Sansa. He tried to take her into his arms.

"Let her go Joffrey. You do not want to be doing this." Sandor said with barley controlled rage in his voice.

"Fuck you dog. I gave you one request and you couldn't even do that. I just wanted to have a good time and this is what I get." Joffrey spat.

He went back to shaking Sansa and telling her that she was nothing.

Sandor cracked. He took Joffrey’s hand and twisted it hard. He let go of Sansa and she ran away further down the lake.

"You stay away from her from now on." Sandor said.

"Or what?" Joffrey asked.

"I will make sure it is the last thing that you do." Sandor threatened.

He turned and went to find Sansa sitting by the lake on a log. She was crying and he felt powerless to stop her. He came up behind her and sat down next to her.

"Sansa are you alright?" He asked.

"Fine." She sniffed. "I just saw my boyfriend try to beat up my sister and she found him having sex with someone else. Things could not be better." She was cold and detached.

She was sitting there shivering so he took off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

"I am sorry. He said that he was going to do this tonight, but I really didn't think he would. I didn't believe that he would hurt you." He lied.

"I am sorry too." She said. She sat there and collected herself. They sat there lessening to the sound of the surf hitting the rocks. He wanted to say so much to her, but he couldn't. So he said the one thing he wanted to know most.

"So, what now?" Sandor asked.

"Now I wipe the tears away and go home." She said standing up from the log. His jacket fell away from her　and she walked away from him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer then expected to put up. But here it is. Lots of thanks to Charlotte1093 for all the help. Hope you enjoy.


	14. To The Stark Girls

Gendry

He was boiling with blood lust. He felt it burning with in him. He had wanted to kill Joffery for hurting Arya, for touching Arya. If it wasn't for her walking beside him he would have gone back and killed him. She was shaking and he could hear her teeth chattering as they walked in the trees away from the chaos that had erupted with Joffery as the eye of the storm. He was glad he had followed her and Sansa, but at a distance after the last song. Arya was clearly shaken up theta one of her poems had been turned into a song with out her permission. She had said she needed to talk with her sister, so she went to find her. Gendry didn't like the idea of her going off in a strange place without someone with her to ward off the stupid drunks, so he waited behind for a few moments and slipped into then shadows. The sisters walked to the lake. Then he spotted Sandor walk over to them. They had a slight decision and Arya wandered into the woods alone. He was about to follow Arya into the woods, but he didn't like the way Sansa was acting with the Hound. He was torn, go save his date or make sure her sister was okay first. Then his mind was made up for him. Arya screamed.

Gendry had been on the other side of the woods so it took him a few moments to reach her. When he came into the clearing he saw Arya on the ground. He went to her, helped her up. He looked around that everyone there. Joffery stood, his pants unbuckled, almost to his knees, a girl in a cheer uniform, topless against a tree. He figured that they had been doing it and Arya found him. Joffery was yelling at Sansa and walking menacingly to her. Sandor took Sansa away. Then he turned to Arya.

"You bitch. I am going to give you a slap. Payback bitch." Joffery walked two steps over to them. Gendry put her behind him and glared at him. The shit reconsidered and put his clothes back on. Then Gendry took Arya's hand and started walking. And kept walking.   

"Gendry where are we going?" Aryas angry and frightened voice demanded from his side.

"As far away from Joffery Baratheon as possible. If I stay to close to him I will end up killing him for touching you." Gendry said through clenched teeth.

"Can we stop now? I can't hear anyone or see any lights." She tugged on his arm to get him to stop.

Gendry took a deep breath and they stopped walking and he just stood there fuming. Then he realized that Arya was crying. That was when his anger evaporated and his concern for her took over. He pulled her into his chest and held her tight. He tried to think of something kind and comforting to say, but nothing came to mind. All he could do was hold her.

When he felt her stop crying he tilted her head up to look at him and he saw the tears glittering on her face in the moonlight. There was dirt on her cheek where she had fallen to the ground. Her hair had twigs in it, but none of that mattered to him. She was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen and tenderness was building in him for the slight fierce young lady in his arms. She was looking up at him, her eyes wide and confused. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and his hands stayed on her face. She was looking at him and her hands came up to rest on his chest. They stood there for a moment longer when they both moved at the same time.

Their lips met and they melded together. Her arms came up to curl around his neck and one of his hands twined in her hair. She was getting angry that she was to short, so she gave a little jump and he helped her slide her legs around his waist. The hands from her hair moved to support her delightful ass, holding her to him. Like their previous kiss they fought over who was in control of it. She finally yielded and let his tongue enter her mouth. But she did not completely relent control over to him. She stood up on her toes and ground her body to his. He could not take this. He moved his hand from her hair to hold her tighter to him. He let out a moan as she let her hands up under his shirt.

She traced small patterns on his skin that sent a shock right to his groin. He broke the seal that they had created with their mouths and he let his lips trace her jaw and down to the hallow of her throat. Her breath came as fast pants and her hands came back to his chest and to his shoulders. She was gripping on to him as if he was the only stable thing in the world. One of his hands began to roam over her body, starting where they were holding them together at her hips up her torso to her chest. Gendry had been wanting to feel if her breasts felt as perfect as they looked and he was not disappointed. He massaged that tender flesh, his need growing with every second. He found a tender spot on her neck where her collar bone dimples into her neck and he drew his tongue across it savoring the taste of her skin. She clung to him desperately.

"Oh," her voice was soft and she started to whimper as he massaged her breast with his large hand and supported her body against him. "Gendry."

The sound of his name from her lips made him feel as if he was going to die. He had never loved the sound of his name until that moment. She pulled one hand out from under his shirt and pulled his mouth back to hers. They kissed, fought and teased all at the same time. Finally they pulled apart, still clinging to one another, but gasping from oxygen deprivation. Arya started giggling and Gendry started to smile. She slid her locked legs from his waist and touched her feet to solid ground. Once there a full throated laugh erupted from her mouth.

"What is so funny?" He asked. He tried to hide his movements as he secretly sifted his erection. She just smiled at him, looked down at his crouch.

"Now I know you most definitely not gay." She said.

"I never said that I was." He said pulling her close, kissing the top of her head.

"We better get back. The rest of the party is probably still going on. The others might be looking for us. I need to see if Sansa's okay." She said. She pulled slightly from him, but not far enough to leave his arms.

"Come on then." He took her hand and they started walking in the trees back to the party. They didn't talk. They both just glowed from the moment they had just shared. Gendry was happy. This was more then he had hoped. After that kiss Jaqen didn't stand a chance. Gendry was sure of it was he walked hand in hand with Arya in the woods. They got to the fringes of the party. They saw Sansa getting into her car and driving home. Just then Arya's alarm went off. It was the signal she had to leave to get home on time.

"Lets go see if the guys are still going to play. Then if we're done I will give you a ride, since Sansa left without you." He squeezed her hand and they walked to the stage.

"Arya, Gendry. Thank god. Beric says he can't sing, so Thoras is just going to be the D.J. for the next hour. But AEGON and I are going home now. I wanted to make sure you are okay. I heard that you walked into my brother fucking someone. Are you alright?" Myrcella had barley taken a breath as she talked.

"I found him, with a who're, with Sansa behind me. It wasn't pretty. Gendry found me and we went for a walk." Arya said. Gendry smiled at her, making her blush. He squeezed her hand.

"Leg me go find Beric, then we can go okay? Stay here with Myrcella." He gave her a small tender kiss, then walked away. As Gendry left he decided he was addicted to Arya and her sweet kisses.

"Gendry, I'm done. That girlfriend of yours is never allowed to watch me play." Beric corked out.

"If you didn't steal her stuff she wouldn't have hit you." Gendry smacked his friend on the back, causing him to wince. "I have to take her home now. Just going to get my stuff loaded and leave." He walked away before he had to hear Beric complain about how girls were breaking up his band. He worked fast, packed his stuff up and went to find Arya. She had her head close to Myrcella and they were whispering. "What are you two talking about?"

They looked up, like they were guilty of something. "Um, nothing. Ready to go?" Arya asked, waved to Myrcella and took his hand. They found his car and he opened the door for her. She slid into her seat. Gendry got into his seat and turned over the car. They drove away from the party. The music from the ride to the party was still playing. It seemed right for the moment. They didn't talk, but Arya scooted over in the bench seat and sat right next to him.

"Mind if I put my head on your shoulder as we drive?" She asked. "I don't want to lean against the cold window." She had already done what she had asked.

"Sure, I will be your pillow." He slid his arm around her shoulders and her head rested between his neck and shoulder. Soon he heard small snores coming from her. He smiled and drove her home. They pulled up to Winterfell 2.0. The clock said she had ten minutes to get inside before one. He tried to shake her awake. She didn't wake, just scooted closer to his side.

"Arya, its time to wake up. You're home. Time to go." He tried again. Still nothing. He looked at her, looked at the house and decided to try the Sleeping Beauty approach. He kissed her, softly, on the tip of her nose. She shook her head, but her eyes remained closed. He leaned over and kissed her lips. Still nothing. He licked along her lips, she smiled and he took that for a good sign. He leaned down again and kissed her, a real kiss. He felt her wake, she slid her arms around his neck and she kissed him back. He pulled away and found himself looking into her amazing grey eyes.

"That is the best way to wake up." She smiled and stretched. Gendry looked at her neck. There, below her color bone, was a hickey. It was small, but clearly there. He smiled to himself. Tomorrow when she was on her date she would be wearing his mark.

"You better get inside. I'll talk to you later.But probably not tomorrow." He looked sad and showed her his pain.

"I will talk to you as soon as I can. I had a good time tonight, despite everything." She gave him a brush of her lips along his jaw. She got put of the car and walked to her door. He sat there thinking over the night. He made sure she was safe then drove home. He tried to get his head ready for  tomorrow. It was going to be one hell of a day.

Bran

"That was Arya's scream." Bran said making his way to the trees and to his sister.

"It's coming from the place that Joffery was at with that girl." Jojen said, leading the way to where he knew the commotion was coming from.

They found Joffery standing in a clearing yelling after Sansa, she was walking away. Arya was being led away from the clearing with Gendry and he saw the Hound going after Sansa, followed by her crazy boyfriend. Myrcella was standing in the clearing holding Aegons hand and shaking in fear.

"Come on. We have to follow Sansa." Bran said.

Meera grabbed his arm. "Bran remember that you don't want to be seen." She looked scared and ready to take him home right now.

"I won't be." He melded into the shadows, like all the Stark children could do. Once he made sure he was not noticable he looked to Meera. She let go of his arm and they walked along the shadows to the edge of the water. Sansa was being shaken by Joffery and he were wiping away her tears, violently. Then from behind Joffery Sandor was there stopping Joffery from hurting his sister. Bran felt the bile rolling up in his throat as he had watched his sister being shaken.

They started arguing and fighting, but Bran was unable to make out what they were saying. He watched as Joffery stalked away, probably in search of a drink. Bran stayed in the shadows and watched as Sandor and Sansa walked away and sat down on some drift wood and he gave her his jacket.

"She doesn't seem to be in danger here. I think we should let Sandor handle things." Jojen said.

The three turned and went back to the main fire. They heard what people were saying about what had just happened and most of it was completely wrong. Meera went up to one of the cheerleaders and asked what had just happened.

"Sansa and Joffery were getting close in the woods and some crazy girl from another school came up and attacked Sansa. Then Sansa's sister accused Joffery of cheating on Sansa and she tried to slap Joffery. He defended himself and blocked her blows and she got hurt somehow, I think a black eye or something. Then that guitar player from the band came up and hit Joffery, for no real reason. Then the guitar guy and Sansa's sister, Arya went off in the trees. Sansa went off to confront Sandor, who was led people away from the clearinv, but let that girl in. I hear she was pissed, her big night was fucked because the Hound couldn't follow directions. Joffery went to clean up his face. It is quite the family drama. Those Starks are strange. Nothing bad ever happened to Joffery until they got here. Well that Sansa is not that bad. I do like her." The girl could have blabbered on longer but Meera moved away and related the false tale to Bran and Jojen.

"I can't believe what these people are saying. Where is this other girl? Did anyone see where she went?" Bran asked.

"No. She just disappeared." Jojen said.

"Bran, you do realize what you saw did come true? The only difference is that it happened by the water and not by the fire." Meera said softly. Her hand was on his elbow, leading him away from the gossips.

'There was a small fire down by the river. I saw it. Sansa went there. But that doesn't mean anything. It was a flook." Bran said dismissively. "Since it happened and we have confirmed that what I saw did come true we should leave now." Bran said walking away to the cars. The three walked fast to the cars. Bran wanted to be in the car and on their way as soon as possible. Once they made it and were all buckled in safe and the heater of the car turned on. Bran sat, waiting for the Reeds to speak. 

"What if it happens again Bran? What if you _see_ again?" Jojen asked. He turned and looked at his friend in the dim light.

"I won't. It was just a one time thing." Bran defended. He was not so sure of is stance. It was his hope. He did not want this thing to be with him, always.

"That's what I said. Then it happened again and again. I have them all the time. For instance your sister Arya is getting friendly with Gendry, very friendly." Jojen chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Bran stuttered. "Not again. She has a date tomorrow with another guy. I hate to ask, but she's not having sex?"

"They aren't having sex. Just heavy kissing. I saw them some time ago, in a vision. Making out." Jojen threw out.

"She does like him. But can you keep the _visions_ of my sister's love life to yourself?" Bran asked. Hearing about it all second hand was enough. Knowing about it before it happened was just to much.

"Sure whatever." Jojen said. He turned away from Bran.

Meera started the car and worked her way out of the bay. It was midnight and they went back to the Reeds house for the night. Bran had a lot to think about, but now he wanted to hang outwith his friends.

"So, are there any good movies you think are worth seeing?" Bran asked into the silence.

Sansa

She was hurt, more hurt then she had ever been in her entire life. She did not care that Joffery had cheated on her; she had expected him to do something like that. What hurt was that her closest friend had betrayed her. Sandor had known what Joffery had been up to and he hadn't told her. She cried because she felt that she could not forgive him for that. Her tears had nothing to do with Joffery.

She sat there on the log by the water's edge with Sandor. His large jacket was draped around her slight shoulders, enveloping her with the heat that he had made and his smell. She pulled the jacket in tighter to her. He sat beside her and they did not talk. He tried to comfort her the best way that he knew how. He just gave her his jacket and sat there, not moving or saying a word.

He finally spoke. "So, what now?" 

"Now I whip my tears away and go home." She stood and flung his jacket off. She walked a few steps away then turned back to Sandor. She was pissed.  

She wanted him to say something, anything. But he just sat there. She was starting to get angry and wanted him to say something, anything. Look at her even. She got fed up with it all and snapped at him.

"How could you do that to me?" She demanded.

"I didn't do anything to you Sansa. I was trying to protect you, really. Try and see that. I'm not your boyfriend. I did not cheat on you with some fucking whore." He sounded anger and frustrated.

"But you knew. You knew that he was going to be here fucking some stupid girl from another school." She said. "You didn't even tell me. You should have told me." She said in a barely audible tone.

"I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to hurt you." Sandor said. He stood and picked up his jacket. She wanted the jackets warmth, but didn't reach for it. She was mad, so she spat angry words at him.

"But you did. You hurt me more then Joffery did. You are my best friend here at Kings Landing. And you hurt me worse then words can ever say." Her voice quivered, she was wavering on the verge of tears again.

She looked up at the sky and tried to think of one moment at the new school that did not involve Sandor. She could not think of a single one. He was the person that showed her around school and introduced to people. She had to cut him out now. He had hurt her to bad. She could forgive Joffery, she knew right now she could forgive him. He was an opportunist and she had not put out the way he liked. She drove him to cheat on her. But Sandor was a different matter. She knew that in time she would forgive him, but not right now.

"I don't know what to do. What should I do Sandor?" She asked.

"I don't know. You have a different way of doing things than most people I know." He said.

She started to shiver from being cold again. Her teeth were chattering and she knew that she should move away from water's edge. The chill coming off the water with every gust of wind made her feel like she was getting a bucket of ice water spilled over her head.

"We should get you some place warm. I am worried that you will catch a cold." Sandor said.

"No. I don't want to leave yet." Her teeth chattered with every word she said.

Sandor gave a frustrated sigh and walked with his jacket held out to her. She hoped that he was putting his arm around her not only to give her the jacket, but because he wanted to be close to her. She snuggled closer to him.

"So does this mean that you have broken things off with Joffery?" He asked.

"Probably, I should. He was a jerk. But I feel sorry for him." She said.

"Don't feel sorry for him. He is a jerk. A worm. You deserve better." Sandor murdered with his head touching the top of hers.

"I may deserve better, but I like Joffery. Or at least the Joffery that isn't drunk or with friends. He is a different person then. I know he wouldn't have done anything with that girl if he had been sober." She said. She knew it was a lie, but it made her feel better saying it out loud.

"Sansa he told me about this girl three nights ago." Sandor told her.

She felt the pit of her stomach drop out. He had known for three days and he hadn't told her. Her head swam. She tried to pull away, but he held her fast. She took comfort from him. But he hurt her with his admission. Why had he not told her?

"Why didn't you tell me?" She whispered.

"I didn't want to be the one to hurt you." He said.

"You were the one that hurt me." She sprang away and lashed out at the closest thing that she could see. It was his chest.

She pounded her little fists against his chest crying as she did it. He just stood there and took it. She hit him with all the anger she felt. The thinking part of her brain found it strange that he just let her smack him like that. After about ten minutes of this he finally grabbed her wrists and held her to his chest. She felt his hand stroke her hair and then on her back. She got her breathing under control and stayed there with him.

"I don't want to break up. I don't want this relationship to end." Sansa said to the big strong chest she was leaning on. She didn't want to leave the safety that Sandor created for her.

"Then stay with me. Sansa we will get past this. You are my best friend. Trust me when I say I will never hurt you again." He kissed the top of her head. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to give in, but that wasn't part of her plan. She had to think. She took a moment in his arms, gathered herself then took out her phone. She had forty five minutes to get home.

"Shoot, I have to go. Curfew." She said.

"I know. Let me walk you back to your car." He let go a little so he could see her face.

"No. I have to make this walk alone." Sansa deranged herself from him and walked back to her car. People gave her a wide birth. She knew they wanted to come talk to her, they just didn't have the balls. She got to her Baby and turned it over. She let the hot air wash over her. Once warm she drove away. She had a lot to think about. She hoped the drive home would give her the time to think.

Jaqen

His date with Arya was going to be perfect. He did not want to go and meet her at some greasy spoon diner like they had agreed, so he decided to call her that morning at eleven and tell her that he had a better idea.

"What?" The voice in the end of the line sounded more asleep then awake. He felt like an idiot.

"Arya, I am sorry to call you so early, but I was hoping that we could make some alterations to our plans for the day." He tried to keep his voice soft and even to ease her into being awake.

"What? Oh yeah. I had a long night and I kind of did forget. What do you want to do instead?" She asked trying to sound alert and awake now.

"I was thinking that we could go for a picnic in a small park by the gallery instead of the burger place. If that is okay with you." He tried to keep the concern out of his voice. He did not want her to say no.

"I haven't been on one of those since I was a little kid. I used to make my brother Jon have them with me all the time on the grounds of our house. I would love that. At the same time as before?" He could tell she was fully awake now and hanging on his every word.

"I was thinking of a little earlier, if that is okay. The light is very nice in the park and we could get some sketches done down there." That was an afterthought. He had made up the part about the light, but he did want to spend more time with her. He knew that she spent too much of her time Gendry for his comfort.

"That would be great. I really would like that. What time are we talking about here? Like I said it was a long night last night." She yawned into the phone.

"How about two? I can pick you up at your house." Jaqen wanted her to say no. He did not want to meet her family.

"How about at the end of my driveway? That way we could just go and it wouldn't be to strange for us both." She had supplied him with the perfect option.

"That would work out great. I will see you at two, lovely girl." He disconnected the call.

Jaqen went around his studio and collected some supplies that he figured they would need and then went and placed the bag in his beat up jeep. He walked back to his studio and collected the rest of his paintings for the opening. He had not told Arya that it was his opening that they would be going to. He wanted to surprise her, as well as impress her. He was hoping that with his work being seen it would make the art school that he so desperately wanted into except him early. They had said he lacked experience, but that his talent and potential were enough to allow him entrance.

As he placed his last pieces that he wanted to show into his car he went back into the studio and looked at the one that he had been working on last night. It was a scene of snowcapped mountains and evergreen trees. There was a river flowing in the foreground. He wanted to put a cottage by the river and he could imagine Arya Stark living in the cottage that he imagined by that river. He was going to give it to her when he was finished with it. He took one last look at it and walked back out to drive his paintings to the gallery. He drove into the artistic part of town, Gallery Row, he called it. He parked his Jeep in front of the gallery his work was to be displayed and took one of his painting inside with him.

"Jaqen, thank god that you are here with the paintings. We have room for six if they are large, eight if they are medium, eleven if they are small or nine if you combine sizes. So how many do you have for me?" The assistant to the gallery owner demanded as soon as Jaqen stepped foot into the gallery.

"I have twelve of assorted sizes. You can pick which ones to use." He said in his calming voice.

"Great. I will get one of the boys to get them out of the car. Varys is in the office. He wants to talk to you." The assistant walked to a side door and Jaqen could hear her barking orders to the other workers to get the paintings out of his car. Jaqen walked to the office and knocked.

"Jaqen come on in. I have been expecting you." Varys called out.

Jaqen walked in and closed the door. He had a feeling that what Varys had to say was a closed door kind of a conversation.

"Sit down Jaqen." Varys indicated the chair across from his desk.

Jaqen sat and waited for Varys to start talking. It was a game that they played, to see who broke first and started to talk. At the moment they were split evenly on that account. They sat there for five minutes. Jaqen was not in the mood to play today, he had other things on his mind and places to be.

"What is it Varys?" He finally broke the silence.

"If you sell any paintings I would like to increase my fee from eight to twelve percent. I hope that you do not mind. But I have noticed that some of your earlier paintings have sold recently and once you make a name for yourself I know that they will be flying out of here. We both stand to make a lot of money." Varys steeped his fingers together and he gave Jaqen a cool stare.

"This really isn't about money, is it?" Jaqen asked.

"Now why do you say that?" Varys asked back.

"Because you don't care about that. You care about the people who make the art, not how much that they can make you." Jaqen said.

"That is true. But there has been a shift in your work recently and I want to cash in on it. Who is she by the way?" Varys tried to sneak in at the last moment.

"So this is what this is about. You want to know who my muse is." A smile tugged at Jaqens lips. "If you must know it is a lovely girl named Arya."

"Arya? As in Arya Stark?" Varys asked.

"Yes. The very one. Do you know her?" Jaqen leaned slightly forward in his chair.

"Her father. I know him. I decorated the house that they moved into for them. The Starks do not strike me as the kind of people who would let you date one of their daughters." He threw in. The comment made Jaqen angry.

"We are not dating." Jaqen bit out.

"Ah, unrequited love. No wonder your work has improved. Nothing makes a person more artistic then when a person is not given the love that they crave. Painting is a hell of a way to let some of that sexual tension out." Varys smiled at the young man before him. "I hope that she doesn't give in to you to soon. I shudder to think what happy Jaqen would paint. Now get out of here so we can organize the opening for you."

Jaqen knew when he was dismissed. He stood up and walked to the door. But he could not help himself; he had to have the final word.

"She will be here with me tonight. Do not put your fangs into her. She is an artist as well, but she doesn't need the likes of you sniffing around."

"Oh goodie I can't wait to meet her." There was a glee in his friends eye as he walked away.

Jaqen shook his head and walked out the door. He strolled out of the gallery and got to his car. All the paintings were out of his car and there was a note stuck to the steering wheel.

_Do not forget to be here early- Varys_

He had the last word twice. He noticed the time and was surprised to see that it was twelve thirty. He had to go get the food for the picnic with Arya. He did not know what she liked so he went and got a little of everything from the closest store. He picked one of those baskets made for picnics, with the plates and silverware and everything that a person needed for a picnic. He was relieved that he had a blanket in his car and by the time he was done with his shopping he went to go get Arya.

She was leaning against a tree as he drove up. She grabbed her messenger bag that was on the ground by her feet and slung it over her shoulder. She almost ran over to his car and hopped into the passenger seat.

"Hi." She said with a huge smile spreading across her face.

"Hi to you. Are you ready for some art and a picnic?" He asked.

"Yes. Let's hurry. I think that I might have been followed and there is a spy right over my right shoulder." She said looking at him and trying to keep a straight face. He looked in his rear view mirror and saw a little boy in the bushes with a walkie talkie in his hand.

"Then let's go before they try to sneak into the car with us. Who is this spy? Anyone dangerous?" He teased.

"My baby brother, Rickon. He has been trying to find out what is going on with his sister. Thing's went bad last night at Blackwater Bay for Sansa and she has been locked in her room most of the day." She said.

"I had heard that something happened there. I did not want to ask. I heard that you were involved." His voice was soft and comforting.

"I guess that I was. I kind of hit Joffery." Her cheeks blushed and she looked down at her hands in her lap.

"I wish that I could have seen that." He offered trying to lighten the darkness that had settled on her as soon as she mentioned her sister and the Baratheon prick.

"Things could have been pretty bad if Sandor and Gendry had not been there. But let's not talk about that. So what is this park that we are going to?" She quickly changed the subject and tugged her light weight scarf higher on her neck. He wanted to know what was under the scarf away from her neck. He bet that the Bastard Bull had marked her and knew he had done it. He felt his anger swell up in him. But he pushed that away from his mind, this was his day and he would not waist it thinking of The Bull. 

She had effectively changed the subject. He started to tell her about the park. It was small with a pond in the center and a single willow tree by the water's edge. He told her about the family of ducks that lived there and how he loved to people watch and sketch from there.

They made it to the park and he got the blanket and the basket out. She followed with the art supplies. They sat down and got to eating. He noticed that she was not a fan of the funny named cheese that he had got, but she was a fan of the croissants and fruit. They talked about art and who they liked the best. They talked about who they liked to lessen to while they worked and what they wanted to do with their painting as time went on.

He told her about the art school that he was trying to get into and how badly he wanted to go there. She told him that she had taken up painting as a way to shut her mother up, but that she had fallen in love with it.

"I think that we should start sketching now. It is three thirty and I have to get to the gallery around four thirty, not five." Jaqen said. "It is three thirty now and I want to draw you with this light." He took a sketch pad and charcoal to work with. 

"You want to draw me?" She crooked. She had been drinking some lemonade and it almost came out of her nose.

"Yes. You can draw me as well if you want. It is only fair." He offered

They went and sat under the tree and started to sketch. At first he just sat there and looked at her, memorizing the lines of her face. Then he put his pencil to the paper and started to draw. He attempted to get all of her onto the page. He was so wrapped up in his work that he did not realize that she was not working on anything, but just sitting there looking at him. When he was done with her face he put down the sketch book and returned her look.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. You just get this look on your face when you work that I love to watch. It is almost as interesting to just watch your face and not your hands." Arya blushed and looked down at her hands again.

He placed his hand on hers and pulled her closer to him. He smiled down at her and she gave him a small one in return. He inched closer to her. He had to remind himself to go slow. He touched her lips with his, lightly. It was a soft kiss, fleeting and tentative. He tried to put in the kiss the desire that he felt for her and the longing that he also felt whenever he saw her, into the kiss. He knew that she was trying to tell him something with her lips but he was to happy with the idea of kissing her to recognize what she was trying to tell him.

He pulled back first and sat there looking at her. She did not look surprised, but pleased.

"That was nice. Maybe we should do it again sometime. Maybe a little longer next time." She said. She looked so pleased. She wanted to kiss him more. That was spmething he could work with.

"We better be going to the opening. If I am late Varys will shoot me." Jaqen said.

"Why would he kill you? Are you that important?" She asked sitting back.

"Well it is my exhibit. I wanted it to be a surprise for you." He blushed and looked at her.

"Yours? That is so amazing." She squealed. She hugged him and smiled at him.

"Come on, I have to get to the gallery." He pulled her to her feet and they packed up their picnic and art things and got into the car and drove to the gallery.

Sandor

He felt like he was the scum of the earth. He never realized that what he had tried to do to protect Sansa would backfired on him and he would be the one that would end up hurting her. Last night when he had sat there by the water's edge and held her he felt so pleased. She was there in his arms again. It felt so right when he held her. But the illusion was shattered when she said that she thought that she had to end things with him. She sounded so sure and sad at the same time, but there was finality in her voice, a steely determination that he knew that no matter what he said or did she would not change her mind.

So the next day he tried to text her and emailed her, and there was no reply. He then tried to call her. Still no answer. He was so frustrated. He just wanted to talk to her one more time and apologize. He wanted to make it up to her. He thought about sending her flowers, or something along those lines, but he told himself that that was something that a boyfriend did, and he was not the boyfriend. He was her friend, apparently the best friend that she had here and he had destroyed any trust that he had made with her. He was saddened by the realization that she was his best friend too. The loss of her presence in his life was like the stars all going out at once.

He had sat there on his bed and tried to not to think about her. He turned on some music to drown out the noise in his own head. It was not working. He got up and walked around his room. It was not helping. Then he heard his phone ring. He fought not to run the four steps that it took him to get to his bed to his desk where his phone was.

He looked at the name on the caller ID and did not want to answer it. It was Joffery so he could not ignore him.

"Hello." His deep voice asked.

"Guess what Dog, she took me back. This girl is either the most gullible thing in the world or so desperate for a boyfriend that she will stay with me knowing what I had done. It probably the jewelry I sent her with the roses this morning. That always works. Chicks are fools." Joffery said.

Sandor did not know what to say. He felt bile rise in his throat.

"And since she is my girlfriend still I will be putting my hands on her, so you better not threaten me again. Do you understand me?" Joffery tried to make himself sound menacing. If Sandor was not so sickened he would have laughed.

"Sure thing Joffery. I have to go." Sandor hung up the phone.

He couldn't his house anymore. He grabbed his keys and headed out for a drive.

He drove and drove. The sun was setting and he found himself at the beach. He got out of his car and walked to the ocean. There was one other car in the parking lot and it looked slightly familiar to him. He walked along the surf not caring that he was getting his shoes wet, not caring that his pants were soaked as well. He just had to walk. It was either walk or kill Joffery. Sandor didn't want to go to jail, not for the worm.

Then he heard a guitar playing ahead of him. He looked over to where he thought the music was coming from and saw Gendry sitting on a log playing his guitar. He did not want to intrude on him, but he knew the look that was on Gendry's face. It was the same one that he had on his face. The guy was in pain and pissed at the same time. 

He walked over to where Gendry was sitting. He cleared his throat.

"You sound as miserable as I am." Sandor said coming up behind him.

"Holy shit Clegane, don't sneak up on a people. I almost spilled my drink." Gendry barked out.

"Sorry. Can I sit down?" He asked. "Misery always wants company."

"Sure. So what brings you here?" He asked.

"I bet the same thing as for you. Problem with a Stark. I have it with Sansa and I am betting that you have it with Arya." Sandor said as he sat down next to him. "What were you playing just now?"

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps. The Beatle song. Do you know it?" Gendry asked as he starts to pluck at the strings.

"I do. It's a personal favorite songs, and I think that it is appropriate, given the circumstances." Sandor said.

Gendry started to play the song again and he began to sing the lyrics this time. Sandor surprised himself and Gendry when he started to sing along with him.

'I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping  
While my guitar gently weeps  
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping  
Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know why nobody told you  
How to unfold your love  
I don't know know how someone controlled you  
They bought and they sold you

I look at the world and I notice it turning  
While my guitar gently weeps  
With every mistake we must surly be learning  
Still my guitar gently weeps

I don't know how you were diverted  
You were perverted to  
I don't know how you were inverted  
No one alerted you

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping  
While my guitar gently weeps  
Look at you all...  
Still my guitar gently weeps'

They finished the song and sat there looking out at the ocean and lessened to the waves crashing into the shore.

"Arya is out on a date with someone else. Fuck I need a drink." Gendry said.

"Sansa didn't break up with Joffery. They are still together. And I think I lost my best friend." Sandor said.

"We're both fucked then. They are both with the wrong person for them, and they can't see it." Gendry sighed.

"I know where we can get that drink. Come on Gendry. Time to get out of here, the sun is almost down." Sandor said as he stood up.

He offered his hand to Gendry who just looked at it. He then took it and they let Sandor get him to his feet.

"Follow me in your car. I'm taking you to a place we can drink and not be bothered." Sandor smiled for the first time all day. Gendry returned his smile and they got into their cars and drove away from the beach. Sandor made two stops before they got where they were going. He got them pizza and booze.

"This looks like its going to be a good night." Gendry said as he finally got out of his car at the clearing.

"It will be. I'm going to make a fire, then we can start drowning our misery." Sandor began to stack wood in a stone fire place he made long ago. 

"Hey Sandor, would you do me a favor? Can you take my phone? I don't want to call Arya when I get drunk." Gendry held out his phone.

"Sure, I can do that. Only of you take mine." Sandor held his phone out to Gendry. They switched phones, lit the fire, ate a slice of pizza and sat there silently. 

"So what poison did you get us?" Gendry asked.

"Whiskey and vodka. Two of each. I didn't get any chasers though." Sandor pulled out the bottles, took a whiskey and opened the bottle. Gendry took the others. He walked to his car and took out some sodas.

"Here, this will make the start easier." He threw Sandor the soda and cracked his opened. Gendry took a large swig from his bottle and took a pull on his soda.

Sandor looked down at his bottle, thought of Sansa staying with Joffery and took large pull from his bottle. It burned down his throat and he felt it warm the frozen places inside him. He took another pull and looked at Gendry. Je was setting up some music. It was some kind of angry rock band. It was just what he wanted.

"catch up pal. I have drank more than you." Sandor said when Gendry walked over to a log. Gendry took a drink and settled down.

"To the Stark Girls. May they pull their heads out of their asses soon." Gendry said, raising his bottle up in a toast.

"To the Stark Girls." Sandor reached over and clinked bottles with Gendry. They drank, swigging down as fast as they could. 


	15. Drunk Dials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are only two POV's in this chapter. Its short but good. Enjoy!

Arya

Arya had had an incredible time with Jaqen. There was no drama, no fights, nothing but a good time. The picnic was perfect; it had been like they were on their own private island in the busy city. The opening was fantastic. Arya was shocked when Jaqen had told her it was his opening. Jaqen had real talent and she was so proud of him, impressed and turned on all at the same time. The only strange part of the whole evening was when she met an odd man by the name of Varys. Just Varys, like Madonna or Cher.

She had been standing with Jaqen looking at one of his paintings of a wolf howling at the moon when she heard a soft cough behind her. She spun around and saw one of the strangest dressed people she had ever seen. He was bald and in a loose flowing type shirt in lilac with wide legged linen pants that were a hideous shade of orange.

"You are a Stark, there is no mistaking it in your child." He said in a soft toned voice.

"Do I know you?" She asked trying not to be rude but because it was not how she had been raised, but she couldn't help it. The guy creeped her out.

"Not yet dear child, but I am known to your father. I am Varys and this is my gallery. I have let lovely Jaqen here use to debut his work." He took her hand in his and gave it a kiss. His lips felt like they were made out of wax and she pulled back her hand as soon as he loosened his grip.

"Well it seems as if things are going well for your gallery then. Jaqen has talent and compared to the other works in here you need someone good to keep this place afloat." She said without thinking.

Varys laughed and just shook his head. He turned to Jaqen and said, "I can see why you like her and why she is doing so much good. She is a treasure Jaqen, one of the greatest in the world. Do not let her get away."

He walked away, but the meeting left her unsettled for the remainder of the evening.

Then right before they were about to leave he came up to her when she found herself alone.

"Jaqen said that you to are an artist. I would love to see your work. Here is my card. Call or come by any time. I have an eye for the gifted and I think you my dear may be one of the true greats." He handed her his card and she thanked him and put it in her bag. Jaqen walked over to her and there was a deadly anger in his eyes as he looked at Varys. 

"Are you ready to go Arya?" His voice shook with controlled rage. The anger shocked Arya. This was a new side to Jaqen. 

"Yeah. Lets get the hell out of here." She smiled at him and his anger left his eyes, but she still saw it in his body. They walked to his jeep and she climbed in. By the time Jaqen got in all traces of his anger had left him. She was slightly confused about where it had all come from. Was it because Varys wanted to see her work or because what he had told her about Jaqen? 

So how did you like our date?" Jaqen asked in a soft questioning voice. It held an edge of uncertainty.

"I had an amazing time. I loved the picnic. I didn't want to leave." She smiled at him.

"We should have stayed there. It was a magical place." He reached over and took her hand. Her palm was slightly sweaty, but his was cool and dry. Even after spending all day with him he still made her nervous. She knew she still had to tell him about last night. She had kept her scarf on all day. She had to tell him, but not yet.  

Jaqen drove her home after that. She did not get out right away. She just sat there looking at him.

"I had a great day. I loved the opening and wanted to take all them home with me. I know that you will get in to that snobby art school." She said sheepishly.

"I would give them all to you if I could. You did rather well with Varys tonight." Jaqen had said.

"He sort of gave me the creeps to tell you the truth. So about that thing in the park… That was nice, but I have to tell you something. I kissed Gendry last night when we were out. I had to tell you that, since you kissed me." She sat there waiting for him to say something, but he sat silent.

She squirmed in her seat and did not know what to do. Should she get out of the car or sit there? Was he going to yell at her or something worse?

What she was not expecting was for him to grab her by the shoulders and give her a crushing kiss that was nothing like the tender butterfly light kiss that they had shared in the park. This one was full of desire and passion and heat. He did not compromise the way that Gendry did. Jaqen took command and she had to go with his direction. He was kissing her in such a way that contradicted his personality that he had shown her before. He was fierce, determined and in total control of everything.

When they broke apart he was stroking her face with his forehead resting against hers. They stayed there for a few moments. He had smiled at her and she had returned it.

"I should get inside. I um, I have to get into the house." She stammered. This kiss had left her confused and out of her depth.

"Yes you do, my lovely girl." He tucked her hair behind her hair and gave her one last quick kiss. His hand lingered on the scarf. He kept looking at her neck. There was a question on his eye, but she did not have the guts to show him the mark Gendry had left on her.

She stumbled out of the jeep and walked to the door of her house a little unsteadily. No one was in the hall so she walked as fast as she could to the stairs. Once made it upstairs she went straight for her bedroom.

She just had to call Jon. She was even more confused then she had been at the start of the week. There was something to amazing about the both of them. Gendry made her competitive nature come out in ways that she would not have known possible when she kissed someone. He also set her on fire, wanting to go further then she ever had before. And Jaqen made her yielding and made her feel like she could be molded. It was a feeling she was not used to. They were so different and she was so confused. What was she going to do?

She made it to her room and she kicked off the heels that she was wearing and went and collapsed on the bed. She dialed the number that she had known by heart for so long that she could punch the numbers into a phone in her sleep.

"What is it now Little Wolf? I am out on a date. Is it a life or death situation?" Jon had to shout into the phone to be heard.

"Yes it is life or death. I do not know what to do Jon. I have dated them both and I do not know what to do." She whined into the phone. "If things become any more complicated I will become a lesbian."

Jon chuckled and she heard the back ground noise go down.

"That would not make things easier for you sis. I have some advice that I think you should take. We are all coming down for Christmas, so to make your choice let Robb, Theon and I meet them. The one who does not run away is the one for you. We can put on the intimidation and scare the crap out of them. It should be easy to do. We all are pretty intimidating." Jon said.

"I couldn't do that Jon. I know which one that you would like. You would like Gendry. You are so much like each other that you would go easy on him and give Jaqen a hard time because you won't like him as much. Dad likes Gendry. He even invited him to come over whenever he wants." Arya chuckled. "He seems to have dads vote."

"And you don't think that dad is a good enough judge in who you should be with?" Jon asked.

"Well he didn't meet Jaqen today. I didn't want him comparing the two of them. They are to different for that." She tried to picture her father interacting with Jaqen and they looked uncomfortable in her mind. 

"Arya you will have to pick and soon. That is just the way things are. I think that you will have to by the New Year." Jon said.

"I know. I have no idea who I will pick. Maybe you should just pick for me Jon." Arya was only half kidding as she said this.

"I can meet them and give you my take on the whole thing." Jon said.

"I can deal with that. Thank you Jon. You are the best." Arya smiled even though she knew that he couldn't see it. "Now get back to your date and apologize for me to her for interrupting."

"Okay. I love you Little Wolf."

"Love you to brother."

They disconnected. She stood up and walked to her door. She had her hand on the door knob when there was a soft knock on it. Startled she opened it suddenly. It was only Rickon.

"Sansa has gotten a whole bunch of flowers and a big pair of earrings with diamond on them. They look nicer then moms. I don't know who sent them but she is upset. She locked herself in her room. Then she came out and Mom wanted to know who sent them and all she would say is that they were from her boyfriend. I don't know who that is, do you?" Rickon rambles in the classic Rickon fashion.

Arya had a sinking feeling. She had not been able to talk to her sister about what happened last night. She wanted to tell her that she didn't need Joffery and she wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I hope that I don't." Arya said. "I have to go talk to Sansa."

"But she is not in right now. She is out with Margaery. They went shopping. What is going on Arya?" Rickon whined. "Just because I am the littlest doesn't mean that I don't like not knowing what's going on."

"It's all icky girl stuff Rickon. You don't want to know." Arya said ruffling his hair.

"Well why didn't you just say that?" Rickon demanded as he stomped down the hall. "I wouldn't have spent most of my day spying on things."

She walked to Brans room. She just banged into the room. Bran was sitting at his desk with his headphones on oblivious to everything but what was on his computer. She tip toed over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What the fuck." Bran yelled. He ripped off the headphones and whirled around in his chair. "Arya what the hell! I could have had a heart attack or a stroke!"

"Sansa is back with Joffery, even after everything that I saw and what she saw and she still took that fucking asshole back!" Arya seethed.

"I know I have been here most of the day. I saw the flowers and the jewelry." Bran huffed.

"What is she doing? I can't imagine what she is doing. We should beat her up like we did when we were kids. That will make her dump him right?" Arya asked. She flopped down on his bed and punched a pillow.

"No that won't work Arya. She has her reasons. We cannot make her change her mind. She is going to have to just do what she is doing and decide on her own what is right and see if things are in fact worth it." Bran told her.

"Why are you so rational all the time?" She asked.

"Because I am the one with the brains." He answered.

As the two Starks laughed her phone rang. She looked down at the name on her caller ID. It was Gendry.

"Hello?"

"Arya Stark, you are the most sexiest woman that I know. I want to throw you down and devour you like an animal." Gendry stammered. "I really liiikkkee yyoooouuuu." He sang into the phone.

Arya sat there with her jaw hanging opened. It was only nine o'clock. What was he doing?

"Gendry are you drunk?" She demanded into the phone.

"And if I am what are you going to do about that? What is it with you Stark girls? I am my own people. I had to do something. Stupid art fucker. And that sister of yours has my good friend here all messed up too. As messed up as I am over you. Where did you learn to do this to guys at? I like you and you go out with someone else. That is not cool Arya. Not coooolll at all." Gendrys voice was getting louder and louder.

"Gendry I don't think that we should be talking right now. You need to sleep it off. I will talk to you at school okay?" She didn't want to provoke him. She was shocked and worried about him.

"What eevver you ssayyy ppprrreetttty gurl. Whatever you say. I jus wanna kiss you and smwll you. You smell so good and you taste so goood. Better then this bottle here." He slurred. "I'm gonna git you someday. Sexy sex. Ooohh yeah." He disconnected.

Arya sat there in shocked silence as she hung up the phone. She stood there with her mouth hanging opened and could not seem to shut it.

"Arya are you alright?" Bran asked.

"I think that Gendry just drunk dialed me." She looked down at her phone. Then she started to laugh. Tears were running down her face. Not from laughing so hard, but from fear. What he had said hit her. He really liked her and her actions hurt him. Bran came over to her and gave her a hug.

"Do you like him?" Her brother asked softly.

"I do. But I also like Jaqen too. Jon said to go on a date with them both, but it hurt Gendry. And now after this I still don't know who to chose. Jon said to be their friend and wait till the older boys come here for Christmas so they can meet them and give me his advice in person." Arya confessed to her younger brother.

"Jon wouldn't ever lead you wrong. I like his advice. And since I am the smart one do what I say." He gave her shoulders a squeeze.

"Okay Brain Boy." She wiped her nose on her scarf, took it off and held it in her lap. She felt better now.

"Arya is that a hickey?" Bran asked.

She blushed. "No. Its not." She stood and Bran was laughing at her so she punched him in the arm.

"Hey! What was that for?" He asked rubbing his arm.

"Just my way of saying thanks and I love you." Arya left jim there laughing even harder. 

Sansa

She felt so angry with herself. She had been made a fool of and she had lost her best friend. She had been used and she had become a doormat. That morning she had taken Joffery back after she had heard what the rumors had been saying. They said that he was innocent. That her sister attacked him for no reason. He was the victom in the eyes of the people, not her. If she did break up with him she would be seen as a real bitch. He was still St. Joffery and could do no wrong. If she dumped him she would loose everything she had gained. 

She had sat there in her room feeling dejected and betrayed. Then there had been a knock on her door.

"Sansa there is a present for you down stairs. Mom wants to see you." Rickon said as she let him into the room. He ran over and jumped on the bed. "She looked mad about it. She kept muttering to dad about how it was a disgusting show of money. Whatever that means. But you should get down stairs."

Sansa walked down the stairs to her father's study. Her parents were standing there looking at a rather large and extravagant arrangement of flowers and a velvet box sitting next to it. She entered the room.

"Rickon said that you wanted to see me?" She asked as she walked into the room.

"Yes Sansa dear. This just came for you. There is not a card. Do you know who sent this to you?" Catelyn asked.

"I think it may be from Joffery. We have been dating for a little while and this might be his way of showing that he likes me." She lied hoping that it was good enough for her parents.

"Is that all Sansa?" Her father asked. He heard something. He wouldn't have asked otherwise.

"Yes father. It is." She walked over to the box and opened it. Inside nestled in more velvet there were two large looking diamonds on thin strings.

They took her breath away and she was shocked. They must have cost quite a lot of money.

"Is there anything else that you need mother, father? I have some homework that I need to get dine before I go shopping with Margaery."

"There is nothing that we need." Her father said.

She took the earrings in her hand and tried to lift the flowers. She discovered that she could not carry the flowers effectively and she gave up.

"Do you want them in your room or do you want them to stay down here?" Her father asked from his desk.

"Whatever you think is best." Sansa said as she walked out the door.

Once she was in her room she put the box in her jewelry box. There was something unclean about them to her. She did not want to look at them. She felt sick now. There really was no way to break up with him now.

She sat there and then her phone rang. She knew that it was Joffery. She had to pretend to be thankful and bubbly.

"Oh gosh Joffery! Thank you so much for the earrings and the flowers Joffery. Oh they are so perfect." She gushed.

"So does this mean that I am forgiven?" He asked. "I don't know what happened last night. It was all a misunderstanding. I had been talking with this girl and she said that she could get me some pot, that is all that I wanted. And I was so drunk that she took advantage of me." Joffery said.

She knew that it was all a lie. That he had planned to have sex with that slut, she had even heard that girl talking about it herself. But she said that she believed him. She hoped that she was not laying it on to thick. But Joffery was not smart enough to see that she was revolted and everything was a lie.

"So does this mean that you are still my girl? I won't hurt you again, ever. You know that right?" He asked pretending concern.

"I believe you Joffery. I really do. I have to get some homework done now. I will call you tomorrow. How about we go to dinner and a movie soon?" She asked him trying to sound desperate.

"Yes that will be nice. Just the two of us. Like a proper couple. Go get that homework done. I don't want you to have a reason for not coming out with me tomorrow night." He didn't even say good bye when he disconnected the call.

Sansa did her homework. She had to write a five page essay about the women in Shakespeare plays. She decided to have her main focus be on Ophelia, Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth and Juliet. She could feel a connection with all of them, especially Ophelia. Her plunge into insanity was something that Sansa felt that she was experiencing herself.

She had finished the paper and decided that she should call Margaery.

"So did you take him back?" Not even a hello.

"Yes I did. I had to. Everyone thinks that he is an angle still. That he did nothing wrong. I had to take him back. Then he gave me this cock and bull story about the girl sellingm him pot and taking advantage of him. Thats what everyone will think. Oh that and my sister is an evil bitch. I didn't think that I could do anything different." She sat at her desk and rubbed her head.

"What happened with Sandor? What happened with him?" Margaery asked. Sansa knew that she was trying to be her friend, but also because she wanted information.

"I guess for lack of a better term I broke up with him." Her stomach turned over at the thought.

"My gods Sansa I am sorry. I know that he meant a lot to you." Margaerys voice was filled with distress on her account. It was real as well, not fake at all.

"Is it bad that I feel worse that I lost Sandor, more then what Joffery did to me?" She asked, feeling confused. She wanted to have someone tell her that she was crazy, that what she felt for Sandor was wrong. But she knew that Margaery was not going to tell her that.

"Sansa I know that you like Sandor, and I know that he likes you as well. So why are you with Joffery then?" Margaery demanded.

"Joffery is a tool. A means to an end. I do not want to explain this right now. But things with Joffery are not going to last for much longer, I just need him for a little longer." Sansa told her friend.

"I hope you know what you are doing. Sandor is a patient man, but you leave a man in a life boat to long they will begin to go crazy. Now when do you want to leave?" Margaery asked.

"Twenty minutes? Meet at the mall?" Sansa asked.

"That sounds very perfect. See you soon." Margaery said.

She looked one last time at the earrings and felt bile rise up. Walking down the stairs the disgusting display of flowers was on the center table in the entry hall. It all disgusted her so she ran outside to her car. It was getting dark. It still stayed light longer here, but it was still light enough she could walk to her car without lights on.  

Sansa drove to the mall and met Margaery there to get some early Christmas shopping done. She was having such a good time shopping and being a girl that she forgot about Joffery and Sandor and threw herself into her first love. Buying things that were pretty and fashionable. She got something for everyone. Her mother got a silk scarf, for her father she got him a knife with a picture of the North on the handle. She found a role playing game called A Song of Fire and Ice for Rickon. She remembered him saying Tommen played it and he wanted to try it too. Bran got a gift card for a vintage bookstore. Her older brothers got the same thing, wallets. Arya got a diary, purple. Her shopping was done and she was relieved that she had a few weeks' time in case she wanted to get something different for someone.

They were sitting in the food court,sipping smoothies and laughing about some weird fashion in store windows. It was getting close to nine thirty when her phone rang. She looked at the name plate and saw it was Sandor. She would not lie, her heart skipped a beat. She picked up the phone and she knew that there was a smile on her face.

"Hello Sandor." She tried not to sound eager to talk to him.

"Sansa I am wanting to know what you think you are doing with a disgusting worm like Joffery. He is a worm, you know. He is just using you, using you." Sandor howled into the phone. "You deserve bet, you need, fuck. I mean do better then him. A better man. Like someone different. Not a worm."

"Sandor are you drunk?" She asked astonished.

"And what if I am. I am a grown ass man. No body to do good for. So I'm drinking alittle. I am just here with my new best friend and we are sitting here talkin about what is wrong with the Stark girls. Why do you yank a guy around by the chain? You string us along and then you go out with douche bags." Sandor continued to slur into the phone. "Why douche bags? What tje fuckmis wrong with the tough guys who are nice too? Is it so hard to be with somebody who likes you? Likes you, what a funny thing. Shit. My bottle is almost gone. Hey man, where is the othrr, I mean ofer. Fuck, other one?"  

"I don't think that you should be talking to me at the moment. You are talking nonsense. Sandor I am going to call you tomorrow to make sure that you are feeling okay." Sansa tried to sound soothing.

"You do that you little vixen. That is what you are a vixen. That was the first thing that came into my head the first time that I saw you. I said, I said to myself that that girl is a vixen and she would be amazing. She'd make me feel amazing." Sandor began to sing into the phone.

"Sandor, I'm hanging up now." Sansa said.

"Okkayy. I am going to call you, you know that? Or are you going to call me? Fuck it, we will talk. You are my little vixen. Good night little vixen." Sandor hung up the phone.

Sansa sat there shocked. A real man indeed. 

"Sansa was that Sandor?" Margaery asked.

"Yes that was Sandor. He was drunk. He drunk dialed me. He said that he was with his new best friend. Who do you think that is?"

"I don't know. I'm more worried about Sandor being drunk. Never in the whole time I've known him I have never seen him drunk. You really did a number on him." Margery sipped her smoothie. 

"He calls me his little vixen." Sansa said, giving a giggle.

"He must like you. But remember what I said about med on life boats. Get what you need then dump Joff." Margery waved her drink cup at her. "Come on. Time to get home." Margery left their booth and walked away. Sansa hurried after. Her mind was still on the phone call. This was the first time he admitted he liked her. This changed things, didn't it?


	16. The Fog Clears

Myrcella

Her weekend was a mix of amazing and horrible. She had a shitty time at home Saturday morning with Joffrey ranting and raging. Sansa had told Joffrey that she wanted to be done, then Sansa had taken him back. She had watched her mother call her jeweler and order a necklace to send to Sansa. Myrcella guessed the sad ploy worked. She wished it hadn't, she had to suffer watching him strut around the house when Sansa took him back. He gloated and boasted to his friends that he had come over to drink and play video games.

"She took me back after catching me with my pants around my ankles with another girl up against a tree and she still takes me back. Am I a good lire or what? I told her that the girl was giving me some pot, she totally bought that." Myrcella had overheard Joffrey telling his friends. “Gods she is so dumb. I love them dumb. It makes things so much easier.”

She had walked away from the media room at that point to get ready for her date with Aegon. They were going for a drive and she remembered the last time. It was cold and thrilling. She dressed in layers that still made her look good, but would keep her warm.

Aegon pulled up to her house to pick her up at four o'clock. She had practically ran out to see him and jumped on his bike before he had time to shut off the engine.

"Eager to see me are you?" Aegon asked when he handed her a helmet.

"Eager to get away from this house." She said yanking on the helmet.

She wrapped her arms around his middle and off they flew. He wove his bike in and out of the traffic and down the freeway. Aegon took an exit to the beach and they continued onto their way. They drove along the coastal highway for a while but turned off to a drive to a small town. They rode the winding and curving road at neck break speeds. Myrcella was enjoying the sensation of holding onto him and pressing her body to his. The hum of the bike and the way Aegon always took a moment to touch her leg made her forget everything that was happening at home. Her parents escalating fights, Joffrey and his depraved behavior going out of control. These facts plagued her every waking hour of every day, except when she was with Aegon. They drove through little tourist towns and small village like places, she wanted to stop in each, but AEGON kept telling her to wait, they’d be there soon. After driving for two hours they finally stopped at one of the little tourist towns.

It was small, only 600 people or so. The main street was overlooking a cliff and the houses were small and clean. It was a postcard village. Myrcella could picture herself in one of those small houses. She would paint her house blue and the door and shutters white. She looked around and just wanted to live here, for the rest of her life. She would quit school, open a dance studio and teach kids. It’s what she wanted to do after school, well that and work for her father’s company. But that wouldn’t happen when her brother took over. She would probably find herself in a small town teaching dance. Looking the place over made her decide that wouldn’t be a bad thing, not with Argon by her side.

"I was thinking that we could stop here for dinner. They have the best fish and chips in the world." Aegon told her as they untangled from each other off the back of the bike.

"I can't feel my ass Aegon. Don't get me wrong I liked the ride, but did it have to be so long?" She wined as they started to walk to the little restaurant that was on the edge of the cliff.

"Do you feel this?" He asked as he grabbed her ass.

"Yes. I do feel that." She giggled. "And I like it."

She slipped her hand into his back pocket and they continued to walk in to get the "best fish and chips in the world". She heard the crash of the waves on the rocks. It was nice and peaceful, so much better than Kings Landing and the noise and pollution.

"Aegon! It has been far to long since you were here last." A plump woman all but shouted as she saw Aegon.

"Hey there Betty. Can we have a table on the covered patio? Cella likes the ocean." Aegon said as he hugged the lady.

"Anything for you dear. And I am so glad to see that you have a girlfriend now. Cella is it?" Betty extended her hand to Myrcella.

"It is nice to meet you Betty. How do you know Aegon?" She asked as Betty led them to a table.

"He has been working here during the summer since he was a small boy. He comes and lives in this small town of ours with his uncle every summer. He is our bus boys. We wait around for him all year. He really brings life to this place." Betty gave him a proud maternal smile.

"You make it sound so glamorous. This sure is impressing the girl here. Two fish and chips, with iced tea please." Aegon asked.

"Anything for you my dear. And it is on the house. We will just take it out of next summer's pay." Betty laughed as she walked into the kitchen.

"So they must really like you here." Myrcella said as they finally sat down and they were alone. She reached across the table and grabbed his hand.

"What can I say, I am a lovable guy?" He ran his thumb across her knuckles.

They stayed looking into each other's eyes. She decided it was time to run her foot up his leg and tried to flirt with him without saying a word. She was not sure if it was working, but she hoped that it was.

"Here you go dears. The world's best fish and chips." Betty said startling the couple.

They thanked her and started to eat the food.

"These really are the best fish and chips in the world. I love them." Myrcella said as they ate. "It was well worth the numb ass. And this town, this place is perfect. I never want to leave."

"Good. After this we should go down to the beach and watch the sunset. There is a cove that I know about three miles from here. It has a very nice view." Aegon said.

They finished their meal and Aegon and Myrcella got hugs from Betty.

"It was so lovely to meet you dear. I can tell that you make this boy happy. Keep it up sweet heart." Betty whispered in Myrcellas ear as they hugged.

"I will. For as long as I can." Myrcella whispered back.

There was still time before the sun would start to set. Myrcella convinced him to show her around thru place. Aegon showed her around. They stopped in at the bakery and ordered desert and coffee in a sealed container so it wouldn’t spill, again on the house. The grandmother like lady said it would be ready in ten minutes. The old lady appeared to be one of his admirers as well. He said it was something about him having saved a cat on the roof. They passed a sappy tourist trap and she pulled him in.

They had shells and bottles of decorated sands. She looked at some of the silver rings that were sold in all gift stores. One that she really liked was five bands woven together. It was lovely and she did like it. But her attention was drawn from the rings to silly stuffed animals. Her eyes found a plush dragon.

“My mother would only let me have lion stuffed animals. I asked for bears, horses even a dog once. She never gave in.” Myrcella said out loud to nobody in particular.

“I’m sorry Cella. Hey why don’t you go get out desert orders and I will meet you at the bike. I need to use the bathroom.” Aegon told her as he walked to the door marked Men’s.

She walked down the quiet street to the bakery and collected their goodies and walked over to the bike. The sky was just starting to turn colors and she relaxed against it like she owned the thing. She was thinking of where to put the stuff for desert when Aegon came walking up. He smiled at her, took the goodies and put it and a small bag into a side bag of tone mike.

“Seems like we are just going to make it. Hop on beautiful. We got a sunset to watch.” He gave her one of his devastating smiles that made her weak in the knees and lose the ability to talk. All she could was nod her head.

They got back on to the bike and drove to the cove. Aegon had been right, the view was spectacular and the sun was just kissing the horizon when they arrived. They got off the bike and Aegon collected the bags from the saddle bag. He took her hand and walked hand to the beach and sat down with their backs against a log.

He dug out the deserts. She took cinnamon roll with cream cheese frosting. She took her first bite and the heavenly taste exploded in her mouth. It was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten. It was sweet from the sugar, but the dried fruit inside it made it tangy as well. Aegon had gone for a brownie and was eating it with as much enthusiasm as she was eating her. By the time they were done the sun has met the horizon and the sky was all pinks and peach and blues.

"Cella there is something that I have wanted to do all day." He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her.

His mouth found her neck, nit the place that she expected to have his lips touch her first, but they sent of heat all over her body and made her want to explode. She could not stand it another moment. She pulled back and forced his lips to hers and devoured him with her mouth. She let their tongues dance within her mouth. Her arousal was growing by the moment, and from her position sitting on top of him she knew that he was getting more worked up the deeper they kissed and the more he molded his hand to her chest.

She was moaning into him as he slid his hand into her bra and snagged her nipple with his fingers. He flipped his thumb across it. Myrcella started to writhe above him as he continued to work on her breast. With every swipe of his thumb she danced above him with small circular on his lap.

"You are going to have to stop moving if you don't want to end up having sex here in the sand." He panted.

"Well then stop playing with my nipples? It feels so good, and I almost don’t care about the sand." She panted in reply.

"I can't. They call to me." He said in a harsh voice and just to prove a point he worked them again sending her dancing again. She focused her breathing and rested her forehead against his, smiling at him.

"Then we are at an impasse." Her eyes sparkled and she kissed his nose.

"Trust you to use a big word when I am so worked up I can barely see straight." He growled.

She sat on his lap and giggled.

"It is getting late and the sun is almost down we should get going back to town. God I don't want to, but we have to go." Aegon said his voice full of regret.

"I don't want to go back. Life is shit back there." She pressed her head to his neck trying to hide.

"Then come back to my house tonight." Aegon whispered.

Myrcella sat there in the lap of a man that she was greatly attracted to and knew that she really wanted to go home with him. She found herself saying something completely different.

"I have to go home. My mother would send the police after me. I really do not want to see my boyfriend arrested." She got off his lap and stood there waiting for him to get up too. She held out her hand and he took it and they walked to the bike.

They drove home and it only took half an hour to get back to the city. She was slightly confused at how that had worked out. So she asked him when they pulled into her driveway.

“I took the scenic way. I just wanted to have you pressed against me.” He smiled at her.

“Well I liked the drive. The date was amazing. Perfect even. I never wanted to leave there. What’s the town called? I didn’t see signs.” She asked, trying to prolong the moment until she had to leave him.

“Its called Storms End. Apparently at one time my family lived there. But that was long ago.” A dark cloud flashed over his face, but it diapered almost as soon as it appeared. “I have something for you.”

She looked at him and didn’t know weather to be happy or not. Gifts in her family were bribes. She couldn’t remember ever receiving one just because.

“Aegon, you didn’t have to.” She said.

“I know. I wanted to.” He reached into the bag and took out the bag she had seen him with earlier. He handed it to her. She opened it like a kid at Christmas. Inside was the dragon stuffed animal and on its neck was a chain with the ring she had also been looking at.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She was speechless. She looked up into his eyes and the first tear fell.

“Oh gods, Cellar, I didn’t mean to upset you.” He quickly crushed her into his arms and she started to goggle.

“I’m not upset. I’m happy. This is the best gift I have ever received. It’s a perfect way to remember this day.” She said against his chest.

Gendry

He woke up on Sunday with a nasty taste in his mouth and a head full of bees. He cracked opened his eyes and it felt like there was someone rubbing sand paper over them. He had a blurry idea of what had happened to him the night before. He knew that it involved a bottle of liquor and Sandor Clegane. The rest was a blur.

He did remember going to the beach and playing his guitar. Sander had found him and they got to talking. They had left the beach, went to his house, got the bottles and went to a parcel of land that Sandor’s family owned. They turned up some music and started to drink. That’s all he remembered.

If someone would have asked him of that was how he thought he would be spending a Saturday night he never in a million years have said that he would have spent it drinking with Sandor Clegane. But that is indeed how he spent that night. He stumbled out of his car and saw Sandor doing the same thing. They grunted in greeting.

They had sat on the hoods of their cars and talked about Arya and Sansa. He felt like this had been covered last night but he wasn’t sure. They were both hopelessly hooked on the Stark sisters and that there was nothing that they wouldn't do to make them happen. He didn't really remember what had happened after they had drank the bottles but he did remember talking about calling Arya. She knew that she was on a date but she was supposed to be his girl.

That was the last thing that he sort of remembered.  He wanted to check his phone thinking he had sent her a simple text. He was not prepaid for the five text messages from Hot Pie.

_Arya said that you called her last night. You having a good time? – Hot Pie_

_Who is this friend that you are with? –Hot Pie_

_So you want to ravage Arya. It is about time that you tell her that. –Hot Pie_

_Hey buddy are you dead? I do not want to go to a morgue and ID your body. Let me know if you need a DD. –Hot Pie_

_Okay heads up. Just heard from Arya and she is pissed. You and Sandor really? Watch your ass Monday and do not let her get you. –Hot Pie_

What the hell. Had he called Arya? Had Sandor called someone too? Had he called Sansa? He shot his mew pal a look. He was still parked in the woods. So he had been safe, he hadn’t driven. Gendry slowly slid from the hood and looked around. The four bottles from the night before were empty, but he didn’t think they had drunk them all. Gods he felt sick.

He had actually called her. What had he said? She had no idea what had happened. He was screwed. So fucking screwed.

Sandor was sitting in his car with his phone to his ear. Gendry looked at the time and saw to was two thirty in the afternoon. He rubbed his eyes and decided that he should call Hot Pie.

"Gendry you’re alive. I was going to come looking for you. Where are you? Do you need a ride buddy?" Hot Pies voice was loud and he felt like he was being screamed at.

"Can you not yell at me Hot Pie? My head feels like it is going to split in two." Gendry said closing his eyes against the sun and the sound of Hot Pies voice.

"So you did get drunk. Do you remember calling Arya?" Hot Pie laughed.

"No I do not remember doing that." Gendry sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What did I say?"

"That you wanted to do the dirty with her. You didn't use those words, but that is pretty much what it all boiled down to. Oh and you called her a cock tease and that she was stupid as well. Then Sandor apparently called Sansa and told her the same thing. What were you two doing together? Having a date or something?" Hot Pie said.

"We sort of ran into each other. Things went from there to sharing a bottle or more of booze in the woods. I guess we got to talking and we ended up not thinking." Gendry said.

"As long as nothing  _happened_ between the two of you then it is cool that you found someone that understands what is happening with your love life." Hot Pie said in a cheery voice. "But him being your new best friend I do take offence to that, and I know that Aegon might as well if he heard that."

"He is not my new best friend. We just had a  _fling_. God that sounds so gay. That is not what I meant to say. We had a good time. That isn't right either. We just got drunk and bitched about girls together. That is all." Gendry told Hot Pie.

"Don't worry; I know that you didn't mean anything like that buddy. But like I said I am glad that you found someone who knows what you feel like now." Hot Pie tried to reassure his friend.

"That is nice Hot Pie. Thank you for your confidence. I better go. I have to go home and wash my brain and get the tequila off me. If I stand to close to an open flame I would combust." He gave a small laugh then winced at how loud that it was to him.

"Get going then Gendry. And I was serious in that text about Monday. Watch out. Arya will be scratching out your eyes." Hot Pie hung up the phone and Gendry sat back against the side of his car.

He sat there and tried to think what he was going to do now. He knew that he had royally fucked up with Arya. Now he had to figure out what to do to fix it.

Sandor stumbled off of his car cussing at the sun. He looked down at Gendry sitting down on the ground and stumbles over to him and slid to sit beside him.

"I feel like shit. You look like shit." Sandor whispered.

"So do you. What happened last night? From what I can tell we drunk dialed the girls. I think that it was about two thirds of the way through something, maybe the second one? I don’t remember" Gendry rubbed his face with his hands.

"That is what I was can remember. I think that I called Joffery a douche bag when I was talking to Sansa." Sandor laughed.

"That is about time there pal. He is. I know that we went over this, but what the hell is she doing with that prick?" Gendry asked chuckling.

"I don't know man. I wish I could have taken a swing at him, like you got." Sandor leaned back his head against the car. "This is a little awkward."

"Yeah. It is. We lost our spark. I guess what we had last night was a one night stand without the sex." Gendry said.

The two guys sat there and laughed. Gendry wanted to keep Sandor as a friend, he was a cool guy. They had a lot in common. More than just the Stark sisters. But that was not what was going to happen. They were in different worlds at school. They were in different social groups.

"I actually had fun last night." Gendry said.

"Me to. I had a good time as well. But I don't think that we will be doing it again. God it does sound like we did something more then get drunk and talk." Sandor said.

"We should be friends." Gendry said.

"We can't do that." Sandor looked at him.

"Yeah I know that. But come on, we had a good time last night. Christ, I sound like a chick." Gendry rubbed his hands on his face.

"We both do. We should go. I need some food and a shower." Sandor stood and offered his hand to Gendry.

"Is this the part where we hug?" Gendry asked.

"After everything I think that would be too gay." Sandor called over his shoulder on the way to his car.

Gendry got in his and drove home. He wanted to call Arya, but needed to shower and eat first. God he was stupid.

Sansa

She didn't think that getting back with Joffery would cause so many waves in her house. She was getting the cold shoulder from Bran and Arya was completely ignoring her. She had gotten an angry email from Jon. And she even got a call from Robb.

"Sansa what are you thinking? Arya and Jon have both called and told me what that Joffery guy is like." Robb demanded.

"How does Jon know anything? He has not met him." Sansa said defending herself.

"He has talked to Arya and Bran both. When have you ever known Bran to lie about something like this?" Robb shot back.

"They do not know Joffery. None of them do. Robb, he is a good guy, most of the time." Sansa tried to defend her boyfriend, but even she knew that her voice lacked conviction.

"Is it true that he cheated on you? That Arya saw him in the act? Can you deny that?" Robb asked his voice rising in anger.

"He was drunk. The girl did sort of look like me. He could have been mistaken. He said that he was getting some pot from her that is all. He has been under a lot of stress lately." She lied feeling horrible for lying to her brother.

"So he is a drunk and a drug addict? That is the guy that you want to date?" Robb yelled at her.

"He is not a drunk or a drug addict. You experimented with alcohol in high school and don't try to tell me that you did not try pot." She snapped.

"What about him hitting people? Hitting his younger brother and sister like they are his personal punching bags, what about that?" Robb raged into the phone at her.

"That is hearsay. I do not believe that he would do that. He has never shown me anything except kindness and compassion Robb. I think that I am good for him and he is good to me. I really like him Robb. Why can no one seem to understand that?" She sobbed into the phone, she started crying as all the lies came out her mouth as she was talking to her beloved brother.

"Okay Sans don't cry. I am sorry. I didn't realize that this might not be easy for you. You are right it is your life. You can be with whoever you want." Robb tried to sooth her. Robb had never liked it when his sister cried.

"Robb, I just can't break it off with him. Everyone thinks he is a saint. Everyone thinks he is perfect. I just don’t know what to do." She said into the phone, feeling guilty for telling him the truth.

"Sansa do you really like him? Or is there someone else. Jon mentioned that there might be someone else that you might like." Robb asked.

"There is no one." She lied yet again.

She could not tell him that she felt revulsion when she was with Joffery. Or that she got butterflies whenever she was with Sandor. She didn't know what to do about his phone call last night. Or how pleased it had made her feel when he said he wanted her. She knew it was dumb but she needed advise.

"Robb what does it mean when a guy calls you when he is drunk?" She asked for clarity.

"Who called you drunk?" Robb was acting all big brother on her again.

"My friend Sandor. He is the person that has shown me around here and helped me catch up when I was behind. He is just a friend." She hoped that she sounded convincing.

"Well it can either mean that he wants a booty call or he just wanted to get something off his chest. What did he say?" Robb had a smirk on his face, she knew that much about her brother. He was a horrible gossip.

"He called me his "little vixen", and that he thinks that I am a fool." She laughed.

"He sounds like he likes you. Is there anything going on between you?" Robb the gossip was rearing his head. He was minoring in journalism; it was in his nature to find out a good story.

"He is my best friend Robb. But I think I might have broken it off with him." Sansa confessed.

"What do you mean you broke it off with him?" Robb asked clearly confused.

"He knew about what Joffery was up to the other night and didn't tell me. I sort of flipped out on him." Sansa felt her cheeks grow warm. She felt foolish saying things that way.

"That was stupid Sansa. He did nothing wrong. And you told him that you were not going to be friends with him anymore over something that was not in his control. He was doing the guy code thing. It is something that you won't understand. Give him another chance. He sounds like a good friend. And it sounds like you might need one." Robb advised.

"How do you know that I will need a friend?" Sansa asked confused.

"Arya is going to black list you for staying with "that filthy piece of shit" as she put it. You are not going to have a good time with her." Robb told her.

This was just what she needed. To have her sister mad at her. She knew what it was like to have Arya not liking her. They went a whole six months not talking when she was eight because Sansa had gotten to go to some stupid sports show that Arya had wanted to go to. Then only way that they had gotten back to talking terms was they were forced to go camping for a weekend with their father. He had forced them to talk to each other.

"You’re right, I will need a friend. Thanks you Robb. I have to go. I have a paper to write." She lied again. If she didn't stop this soon every word out of her mouth would be a lie.

"Oh crap so do I. Okay I love you Sans." Robb said.

"I love you too Robb." They hung up the phone and she started to cry again. Her life was hopeless. She was in a pickle and there didn't seem to be away out of it yet. All she kept thinking was just a little longer; all she had to do was hold on just a little longer. She hoped her sanity could last that long.

Sandor

Sandor walked into his chem class Monday morning and saw Sansa sitting at their lab table waiting for him. He had ignored the calls that she had made him. He had not wanted to face her. He was embarrassed about what he had done. He had a fuzzy memory about what he has said and there was a nagging feeling that he had really stepped in it.

"Good morning Sandor. How are you feeling?" She kept her voice even and controlled.

"Fine thanks. How are you?" He tried to be equally polite and controlled.

"Fine. What did you do your paper on for lit class?" She was being very safe where their conversation was going.

"I have not done it yet." He lied. He had finished to last night.

“Oh." Sansa looked back to the front of the class.

"So what did you do this weekend?" He asked.

"Shopped and I went to the movies last night with Joffery. We saw some action movie. I really didn't enjoy it to much." Sansa said.

Sandor sat in his chair and started to flip into his notebook for the blank page to take notes in.

It was a very uncomfortable hour for Sandor. When the bell for the end of class rang they walked in silence side by side. He watched as Joffery swagger over to Sansa.

"Hello there beautiful. What are you doing with the Dog?" Joffery took Sansa’s from around the waist.

"Good morning Joffery. Sandor and I have class together, remember?" Sansa said.

"Hound, I have something that I must talk to you about. Will you come with me?" Joffery said.

He left with Joffery as the made their way to Jofferys class.

"Sansa still hasn't given it up to me. I am getting a little angry. I thought that those earrings would have done the trick. God this is a nightmare. And she wanted to know why I went to some stranger for sex." Joffery leaned up against the wall of the hallway. "You know her pretty well don't you Hound?"

"I guess. I do have a few classes with her. Why?" Sandor did not like where things were going with this conversation.

"Well how do I get her to have sex with me?" Joffery asked angrily.

"I don’t know. Really." Sandor did not want to have this conversation with Joffery at all.

"Well I want you to find out what it will take." Joffery demanded.

He could not for the life of him do what he was told. He could not do this to Sansa.

"I can't do that Joffery. You will just have to let her come to you in her own time." Sandor said.

"Her own time? I want things in the bag with her by the New Year." Joffery hissed. "Now find a way for that to happen or I will make things more miserable for you then they already are."

Joffery walked into his classroom leaving Sandor alone in the all but deserted hall. He could not do what Joffery wanted him to do this time. He was not going to find out a way to get her to sleep with that worm. So he had to lie to Joffery. He had to make sure that he did not destroy Sansa. That could not happen.

Sandor was late when he got to his next class and was chastised by the teacher. He took his seat next to Sansa and tried to pay attention to what the teacher was saying, but his mind kept swinging back to what Joffery wanted. He didn’t know what he was going to tell Joffery. He was going to have to find things that she did like and then tell Joffery the opposite of what it was that he found out.

He walked through school that day as if he was a zombie. He didn’t pay attention to what was happening all day. Sansa even commented on it when they were in the cafeteria. He tried to laugh it off, saying that he was thinking about what to do on his paper for Lit class.

His mind went to what he had to do for Joffery. He knew that Sansa liked honesty, that much he knew for sure. He also knew that Joffery had no way of being an honest with anyone. He knew that she liked music and dancing. If he was the one dating her he would have taken her dancing or to a concert. He was surely not going to tell Joffery to do that. Then there was the fact that she liked fresh organic food and not that processed crap that Joffery ate. He was not going to tell him that either.

By the end of the day he had compiled a list of what Sansa liked and didn't like. He was going to find out more. One list things for that was for Joffery, the things that she didn’t like. The other of things she did. He would do the things that she did like for her. This would be a great way to get Joffery and Sansa to split up. For the first time since Sansa and Joffery had started to date there was hope for Sandor yet.

Bran

Arya was not talking to Sansa, Sansa was still with a total dick and he was unable to think of a modern comedic piece for theater. And he guessed that he also was seeing things now. He still did not understand what was happening to him, but he knew that he was. Things at Blackwater proved it to him.

He was sitting at his computer looking up a scene to do for theater and he was not finding one that he liked. He had read about ten scenes and monologues and had not found one that he liked. He was looking up something that looked promising when a headache hit. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. He had been looking at the computer screen for to long. He leaned up and then felt the moisture splatter onto the back of his hand.

"Bran dear, it is time for the," Catelyn walked into the room and stopped midsentence. "Oh Bran. Your nose is bleeding. Lean your head back."

Catelyn rushed out to the hall and grabbed a tissue and hurried back to Brans room.

"Apply this to your nose. Oh Bran." She fussed over him like a hen would her chick.

"It is nothing mom. Just a nose bleed." Bran said with his head tipped back and the tissue on his nose.

"Are you feeling alright dear? Any headaches or anything like that?" Catelyn pressed her hands to his head.

"I have a headache, but I have been looking at the computer since I have got home. My eyes have been under a lot of strain." Bran sounded tired.

"I will make you an appointment to get your eyes checked. Let me check and see if you are still bleeding." She pulled the tissue away from his nose and it had stopped bleeding.

"Oh good it stopped. Family movie night is tonight. It is time to take a break from studying sweetheart."

"Alright. I’ll be along in a moment. I just have to turn off everything here." Bran told his mother.

"Hurry up dear. Rickon cannot wait to start the movie and you know how he is when he picks the movie." Catelyn said as she left the room to get her other children.

Bran sat in his computer chair and let his head fall back completely. His head still pounded and he was worried that his nose would start bleeding again. He closed his eyes for a moment and then it hit him.

_He was behind the wheel of a car and it was speeding down a very curvy road. There was rain spattering on the windshield. He looked down at his hands and they were not his hands. They were feminine and the nails were painted a deep purple. He was Arya. There was something going on that was not right. There was an urgency in Arya to get to where she was going._

" _God damn it Sansa. What the hell were you thinking? I hope that you are okay. Hold on I am on my way."_

Bran came snapping back to reality. His headache was worse then it had been before and he still felt an urgency to protect his sister. He bolted from his chair and into the hall. He was so focused on finding either one of his sisters that he was not aware that one was right in front of him.

"Bran! Watch it!" Arya shouted.

"Arya you are okay! Thank god." He grabbed her shoulders and hugged her to him.

"Bran you are crushing me. I really can't breathe Bran." Arya wheezed.

Bran was so shaken by the feelings that last vision had given him that he almost blurted out that he had  _seen_  Arya going to Sansa’s rescue.

"Sorry Arya. I am just so happy to see you." He said.

"I just saw you, like three hours ago." Arya scoffed.

"You are right. Hey have you seen Sansa?"

"No." Arya walked away to go down the stairs to watch the family movie.

Bran back tracked to his room and grabbed his phone off his desk and punched in a text for Jojen

_Happened again. Saw something. Have to go do family movie night. Will tell you more about what is going on later.-Bran_

Arya

She had planned on being angry with Gendry all day, all week, all month, for the rest of her life, but he had been in the shop with the sander working on her car. She just stood there and watched him work her car and she was surprised. She knew that he hated sanding. She walked to her cubby and saw that there was a box of chocolates and a rose in it, as well as a new set of socket wrenches. There was a note with the wrenches from Gendry.

_-Arya I am so sorry that I was such a jackass this weekend. I was drunk and not thinking. I am so very sorry that I made such a fool of myself. Please forgive me. I will do anything to get you to forgive me. I am here to be your slave._

_Gendry_

Arya had walked over to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He had yelped and dropped the sander on his foot. He had spun around and looked her in the eye.

"Arya I am so sorry! I had had way to much to drink and I was jealous that you were on a date and I acted like a fool. I have no claim on you and I know that you are confused and that me being a jerk like that doesn't make things easy for you. I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?" Gendry babbled and apologized at the same time.

Arya thought that it was cute and endearing. He was so cute, trying to get her to understand that he was sorry. She felt her steely determination falter and turn to dust.

"It is okay you big stupid head. I forgive you. Just don't do it again." She said as she walked over and picked up the sander.

Then things had gone back to the way that they always had been. They joked and worked and flirted. She kept looking over at him and every time he was looking at her. She had never really taken the time to look at him. She had seen his body and his eyes, but she never really looked at him. He was so much more then what she had first seen. She was so much more then just a good body and nice hair and amazing eyes. He was more then that. He was kind and sweet and tender. That was what she saw now when she looked at him. She knew him and the more that she knew the more she could see herself being with him.

But that morning in her art class Jaqen had been good looking and sweet and funny as well. Things were getting complicated and more then she had expected. She was going to take Jon’s advice and let him and her other two older brothers meet them and let them give her their input. They were her brothers and would never steer her wrong in the past. She was so happy that Christmas break was two weeks away.

She walked into the lunch room and she saw Jaqen. She waved to him and he walked over to her.

"Lovely girl I have come to eat lunch with you today. Do you want to accept my invitation? Your friends can come too." He quickly added as he noticed Myrcella and Aegon walk her way.

"That would be great but we have four others that we usually eat lunch with. Why don't you eat with us?" She asked looking over her shoulder at their table.

"I can come with you to your table." Jaqen fallowed Arya to her table and she noticed right away that he and Gendry were not happy to be eating with each other. She just realized that this probably was not the right thing to do.

They sat there and did not say much to each other. No one spoke much. It was a very uncomfortable lunch for everyone at the table. Arya tried her best to keep things running smoothly. But she could not seem to stop Gendry and Jaqen from glairing daggers at each other when they did not think that she was looking.

When the bell rang for the end of lunch she stood and walked to her class. Jaqen and Gendry both tried to walk her to class. She was saved by Myrcella.

"Sorry guys but I need Arya. We have some girl stuff to talk about real fast." Myrcella slipped her arm in Arya’s.

"Thank you so very much. They looked like they were going to rip each other apart." Arya said.

"Well I do have things to talk to you about. But that can wait. You haven’t told me about either of your dates this weekend. So spill. We have a biology paper to research and we will be in the library and we will be able to talk then." Myrcella led her to the library.

"They were both great. I had a great time with both of them. I just don't know how to choose. So my brothers are going to meet them both and they are going to tell me what they think." Arya said simply.

"So you give your brothers the power over your love life? That is very foolish. You know that I vote for Gendry. I know that Jaqen is great, but Gendry is perfect for you." Myrcella said.

"They both are really. You really don't know Jaqen. If you got to know him you would see that too. I just do not know. I need more time."

“We all do. But for now lets study. I would love to talk boys all day but this paper is really kicking my butt.” Myrcella said. Arya smiled at her friend. She threw herself into writing the best paper she ever wrote. If she didn’t figure things out soon she would have perfect grades.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. I know it's been a while, but I have been working on my other story I Spy, as well as a new one with a friend. Totally check them out. And drop me a review here. I would love to know what you think!


	17. Southern Christmss

Jon

Christmas break came and he found himself on a plane flying down to where his family was. He was sad to be not having Christmas at home, all the Starks were. It was the first time that he had been away from Winterfell for any holiday. But on the bright side he got to see his family. What he was not happy about was that he was on a commercial plane in economy, wedged between Robb and Theon. All Theon had done when they got their tickets from his father was bitch.

"Why do we have to fly with all these people when they got a privet plane to fly down South?" Theon had complained over and over again.

"The Baratheon’s sent the plane; father had nothing to do with that. You know that Theon. Dad would have taken a plane just like this with everyone else. Now will you shut your damn mouth? Unlike you I have studying to do." Jon snapped.

"Only you would decide to become a lawyer." Robb laughed as he read his book from the other side of Jon.

"We all can't get business degrees Robb. I won't be getting dads company, but someone will need to be there to bail your ass out of trouble when you step on it when you get to be in the driver's seat." Jon said, nudging his brother in the ribs.

“Hey that is not cool. My turn at the company will go done in history as the greatest in history. No more doom and gloom. Read your book.” Robb said as he settled down into his seat. Two hours of the flight to go.

They all lapsed in to silence. The plane touched down and they departed to find their family. All three young men walked as fast as they could through the crowded and congested airport. Jon was so eager to see his family that he was almost running when he saw them all waiting for them on the other side of the security point. He started laughing when he saw the sign that Rickon and Arya were holding.

**_Stark Family Here! Calling the Lost Sons!_ **

When Arya saw her brothers she started to run to Jon. He dropped his bag and he opened his arms and they hugged one another. Sansa was getting a bear hug from Robb and Rickon had his arms around Robb's legs. Theon had his arm around Brans shoulders and they were talking and laughing. The parent Starks were watching their brood make a fuss over each other.

"Oh Jon. Things are so crazy here, but they will get better now that my big scary brother is here." Arya squeezed him till he felt like he could not breathe.

"Alright there Little Wolf. Let me go. You have two other brothers to greet, and there are five other members of the family that I have to see. We will talk soon really." Jon untangled his fierce younger sister from his person. He saw the need in her eye to talk to him and just be around him.

Bran broke away from Theon and Arya took Brans place to say hi to Theon leaving Jon.

"Bran I think you are taller." Jon teased as he hugged him.

"And you have gotten old. I think there is grey in your black hair."

"That was a low blow. Is there really grey in my hair?" Jon asked.

"No. But I think mine might be. Arya and Sansa are still not talking and dad is not having an easy go here. He pretends when he thinks we aren't watching, but I can see him suffering here. You should talk to him Jon." Bran said to him.

"You always were the one who watched things more then others. I will try to talk to father." Jon sighed.

He had two weeks here and he had a large list of people that he "had" to talk to. He had to talk to Arya’s two suitors, Sansa’s boyfriend, Arya and Sansa at the same time, a law firm here to intern with over the summer and now his father. He was not going to have long to take a vacation at all. He had two days to see the sights. That was it. All his time was taken up by business. Oh well, at least he had his family.

He said hello to his mother and father and his two other siblings. They all walked out to where the cars were parked. Robb and Rickon got into Sansa’s shiny red car, the rest piled into the SUV that his father was driving. They drove in the down town area. Jon was amazed that there was so much dirt around. There was dirt in the North, but it was a different kind of dirt. It was a earthy dirt. Big city dirt was just filth. How was he going to spend a whole summer down here?

They pulled up to the new home of the Starks. They had decorated the house with blue and white lights and strings of evergreen plants everywhere. It looked very festive, the only thing missing was the snow.

"Wow the house looks great." Theon stood looking out at the house from the car as they pulled up. "Do we get our own rooms here or are we stuck in the guest rooms?"

"Do you only think about yourself Theon?" Jon asked.

"You know me, I do." He gave a smile that was both greasy and truthful. Theon sure loved to get on everyone nerves, but he was to funny no one really mi deed his smart mouth.

"That is enough boys. You are not children anymore, so stop acting like it." Catelyn said smiling at her two adopted sons.

"Sorry mother. I will shut up now." Jon said hanging his head, glancing over at Theon. They both were acting like they were eleven again.

They made it into the house and it was also decorated. He knew that there was going to be a holiday party at the house tomorrow and that there were going to be dozens of people here.

"Come on boys I will show you to your rooms." Catelyn walked up the stairs. They followed behind like ducklings following their mother. Just because they were grown men that didn’t mean their mother didn’t make them feel like five year olds. "Theon this is your room. Now you can either share with Robb or have a room to yourself."

"I can share. I was only joking about the guest room thing." Theon had the grace to blush and look sheepish.

"Well I will let Robb pick where he wants to go. He needed to talk to your father on an important matter, he will be along shortly. Come on Jon. I have you in the room on the side of Arya’s."

He followed his mom down the hall and was let into his room.

"It looks like it was made for me. It looks just like my room back home." Jon said amazed.

"We had rooms made for all you boys here in the house. I was just giving Theon a tough time." Catelyn said with a smile on her lips. "How have you been holding up dear?"

"Good. School is tough, but I knew that it was going to be when I decided to be a lawyer." Jon sat on the bed and smiled up at the woman that had raised him.

"Your mom would have been proud of you. I know Ned tells you that all the time, but it is true." She gave Jon a kiss on the forehead and left him to settle in.

Jon looked around his room and saw pictures of him and the other kids growing up. The one that got him was of his biological mother, her belly large with him, and her hand touching it lovingly. She had a large smile on her face as she gazed at her belly. Jon had never seen this picture before and took it off the night stand and sat down heavily on his bed.

"She was so happy when she found out about you Jon. She loved you so very much." Ned’s soft voice floated over to him as he leaned in the doorway.

"I wish that I knew her. Arya looks so much like her. They could be twins." Jon laughed wiping the tears off his cheeks and his eyes. He loved his biological uncle and his wife who had adopted him as a babe when his mother died of an infection after a difficult birth. He used to dream of her voice telling him she loved him. He asked his father if she had ever seen him. Ned told him long enough to say she loved him. Now seeing this picture he wished he remembered her better.

"They could be the same person. I called her Little Wolf just like you call Arya. I know that I have offered you to tell you anything that you want to know about her, the offer is still there." Ned walked out of the room.

Jon sat thinking of what he had done in his life. Since he was old enough he had looked into his mother. She was a vibrant young woman by all accounts. From everything he had placed together she had been in collage, in a semiserious relationship with Robert Baratheon. She had wanted to see the world and he opted to stay behind. The break up was on good terms.

Lyanna, his biological mother had gone backpacking and all records of her stopped until she showed up at Winterfell pregnant. To this day he didn’t know who had fathered him, she never said and he could find no records of it either. She had had a good pregnancy. He had looked over the medical reports with his own eyes. She had an easy labor with him, but then she became sick. The records said she held on for three weeks, but her small body had not held out.

That is how he came to be the son of his aunt and uncle. He loved them dearly, and his brothers and sisters. He never lived without love in his life. Some days he was sad, but others he was content with his family. Looking down at this picture he saw Arya in his mother’s face. He wanted to protect his sister. It was his small way of protecting what was left of his mother’s memory.

He would help Arya out of her dilemma. He wanted to keep her close in the family, so she could be protected. He didn’t want her to ever feel the need to run away like his mother had. He had to keep her home at all cost. He would pick the boy that held the least threat to his family.

Myrcella

The Baratheon family was in the limo driving to the Stark holiday party. In the classic Baratheon fashion her parents had had an argument. It was heated and almost came to blows. Her mother was the aggressor this time. Her father had said that Aegon could come with them, but her mother had said no, in not so nice of terms. Cerise did not want her precious son to be with that violent jerk.

Myrcella had felt close to tears and her father had noticed. He had pulled her aside and told her to have Aegon meet them at the party. Her father had been acting differently ever since he had started working with Ned Stark. He still drank like a fish, but he was not so indifferent to what happened in the house. He did not tolerate Joffery from hitting anyone. He did not allow Cersie to bad mouth people the way she usually did. And they had to eat together as a family twice a week. She had started to have a relationship with her father for the first time in her life and she knew that it was all Ned Starks doing.

She had decided to wear the present Aegon had given to her on their first real date. When her mother had seen it she said it was low class and beneath her daughter to wear such trash. When she demanded to know where Myrcella had gotten such cheap a trinket she had admitted it was a gift from Aegon. Cersie had almost ripped it from her neck. Her father had again stepped in the way saying it was a generous gift, appropriate for a girl her age to receive from a boyfriend. The issue had been dropped and they pulled up to the Starks house Winterfell 2.0.

They all got out of the car and went into the house. Joffery went right to Sansa. She was in another red dress, this time with silver threaded into it. It was very festive. She saw Aegon off to the side of the room talking to Arya. As soon as they saw her they waved to her and she walked over.

"I am so sorry that you were not able to come with us honey. My mom went ballistic." Myrcella said walking up and giving Aegon a kiss on the lips.

"It is okay sweets. I understand. I would not have wanted to be in a car with your brother, even if they paid me." Aegon laughed slinging his arm around her waist giving someone the classic stink eye over Myrcellas head. “I love you wearing my gift tonight. Just wait for my Christmas present. Its going to blow your socks off.” He whispered in her ear as he kissed her neck. Butterflies flooded her body. She wanted to think like a person, not someone who wanted to jump her boyfriend at a large party.

"So when will we get to meet your brothers?" Myrcella asked Arya after she was finished giving her boyfriend googley eyes.

"Well they will be around somewhere. They are probably getting introduced to your parents." Arya scanned the room.

Myrcella looked around as well. There were less people at the Starks party then there were at one of her families' parties, she preferred it this way.

"So Arya, did you invite anyone else here tonight?" Myrcella tried to be smooth when she asked, but she knew that Arya probably knew that she was hinting to whether or not she had asked Gendry to the party, and Jaqen for that matter.

The last time Arya had talked about her love life with Myrcella Arya had said that she could not just pick Gendry because all her friends liked Gendry best. So Myrcella had tried to get to know Jaqen as well. And she understood where Arya’s confusion came from. He was a super nice guy. He was different then Gendry, that is for sure. He liked the arts and was a man of the world. Not of the same class of the rich, like Arya and herself, but he knew a lot of their world and wasn’t intimidated by it all. She gave him points for that.

Jaqen was tall and lanky but full of muscles. He was very funny, clever and kind. He was able to think of things to keep people talking. Hell if Myrcella had not been so happy with Aegon she would have started to like him. Gendry was completely manly, but Jaqen was suave in ways that Gendry would never be.

"No I did not. I have not decided anything yet and I did not think that a family party was the best place to pick." Arya said as she continued to look around the room.

"Well sister dear you would be wrong on that account. I took the liberty of inviting both of your beaus and they should be here any minute. Hello I am Jon, and you must be Myrcella and Aegon." A tall dark and extremely sexy young man said coming up behind Arya and put his hand on her shoulder.

Myrcella tore her eyes from Jon Stark and looked at Arya as she had started to make a strange choking sound. Jon started whacking her on the back. Arya’s face went from red to white to red again.

"Hi Jon. It is nice to meet you." Aegon stuck out his hand to shake with Jon's. "Now I know where Arya gets her tact from. It must be genetic."

"It must be. Our father is the same way. We are all Stark, us to. Bran has it a little, but it is not as strong in him." Jon said.

"Arya are you okay?" Myrcella asked. Her friend's eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates. Myrcella looked behind her at the door and saw what was causing her friend to freak.

There in the doorway of the Starks house was Gendry and Jaqen. They were together and looking like they both wanted to take a swing at each other.

"Oh it looks like my guests have arrived. I am going to go get Robb and Theon. We will see you around Little Wolf." Jon mussed up Aryas hair and walked away from them.

"Oh this is so going to be good. I'm calling Thoros." Aegon pulled out his phone and started to call his friends.

"Arya are you okay? Arya are you alright?" Myrcella asked again. She was concerned for her friend. The usual verbal Arya Stark stood there silent. Myrcella didn’t know weather to shekel her or slap her.

Arya just stood there and was acting like she was catatonic. She poked her friend in the face and there was no reaction at all. Myrcella decided it was time to do something drastic. She used her fingertips and slapped her friend softly in the face. Alertness came into her eyes and she swallows thickly before she spoke.

"This is so not good."

Sansa

She had had a very difficult few weeks. Her sister was not talking to her, her boyfriend was really getting on her nerves and her best friend was turning out to be to perfect for words. But somehow with all this going on she still managed to cheer, do gymnastics and join a number of other clubs, while keeping her 3.79 GPA. Her plan seemed to be working really well. She was now the social dealing of King’s Landing High.

Everyone came to her foe passion advice, dating tips and just to talk. She had somehow gotten the sympathetic crowd who thought Jeff was a Dick. They wanted her to dump him and supported her if she did. This was more then she had hoped for. Life was going just the way she wanted, minus a dumb boyfriend.

Joffery was starting to show public disfavor of her and she had heard that no one understood why. She was such a good person. When Margaery had told her that she had felt so happy. Things were working out super well. She figured that Joffery would keep at the whole relationship thing for another month tops. And by then she would not need him anymore. She would be able to stand on her own two feet in the popularity arena of Kings Landing and be a serious contender for the crown.

She was so happy to have her brother's home for Christmas. They were the things that she felt were missing in the family. The older boys were always the bridge between her and the other kids. But seeing them made her moss life at home more then she expected. Like the family adventure getting their own tree from the wilderness that surrounded the Stark family home. How they would all bundle up in warm clothes and hop onto the snow mobiles and spend the whole day looking for the perfect family tree. Then the snowball fights. It was the one non-lady like activity that she loved to participate in. She was the best in the family at dodging the flying balls of snow that by the end of the fight she was the only one not covered in white.

Things were different in the South. It was the first time that she could remember that they had to pay for a tree. Arya had had a fit when their father had said that they had to buy one. They had shared a moment of disgust for Southern people, but then Arya had remembered that she was not talking or being nice to Sansa and walked away from her.

Sansa could not understand why Arya was taking her not breaking up with Joffery so hard. It was not like she was dating a murder and a drug dealer. But from where her sister was standing she probably was.

At the Christmas party that her parents were having for all the people that they had met in the South Sansa was so happy that Robb would be there.

She had been standing in the entry way talking to Robb when the Baratheons arrived. Joffery had come straight up to her and kissed her while she was in midword with Robb.

"Sansa you look amazing." Joffery interrupted. "And who is this that you are talking to."

She could tell that he felt threatened by Robb and she thought that he should feel like that, he was devastatingly handsom, but not over her brother.

"Joffery this is my older brother Robb. Robb this is my boyfriend Joffery." She introduced them. Joffery looked relieved and Robb looked sad and disgusted.

"Nice to meet you Robb. Would it be to much to ask if I could steal your enchanting sister away? I have a present that I want to give her." Joffery put on a show of weakness and had even asked permission before dragging her away. She was shocked to see this from him.

But then he ruined it. Joffery didn't even wait for a response before he started to drag Sansa up the stairs. She looked at her brother over her shoulder and saw that he was looking on in shock and disbelief. She had wanted to have her brother talk a little more with Joffery. She should have known that Joffery did not want to talk to her brother.

"Where are we going Joffery? This part of the house is closed to guests." Sansa said as she was dragged along the hallway.

"I am not a guest, and I have never seen your bedroom. I do have a present for you. I wanted to give it to you without people around." Joffery looked around the hall. "Which one is yours?"

She nodded to her room on the right of them. He walked into her room without as much as an "is it okay?" He walked in as if he owned the place.

"This is nice, slightly overly feminine, but nice." Joffery said as he picked up a pink pillow on her bed.

"Thank you Joffery. I have something for you too." Sansa went to her closet and pulled out a small box from off the top of the stack. She inadvertently let her eye fall to the gift she had gotten Sandor and for the hundredth time wondered why she had not given it to him the last day of classes.

She walked the box over to Joffery. He opened it and saw the lion cufflinks that she had chosen for him inside.

"These are nice. Thanks. All my father lets me get are ones with a stupid stag on them. This is really one of the nicest gifts I have ever received." Joffery sat looking down at the gift. Sansa was stunned to realize that he truly meant what he was saying.

"You're welcome. When I saw them and they reminded me of you. I knew that you had to have them." She sat on the bed. He looked over at her and she knew that he was thinking something important.

"Well I got you this." He pulled a thin box out of his jacket pocket and handed it to her.

She lifted the lid knowing that it was more jewelry. It was a necklace that matched the earrings that he had already given to her.

"Joffery this is perfect." She looked at it in the box then shut the lid and went to put it away with the earrings.

"I will be wearing these for the New Year's party that your parents are throwing. They will go great with my dress." She beamed, just like she knew he wanted her to.

She returned to Joffery and he stood up from the bed, wrapping his arms around her. He placed his forehead on hers and gave her a small quick kiss on her lips. He was being gentle and considerate.

"Let’s get back to the party. People probably want to see us." Joffery lead Sansa to the door and they walked out of the room together.

Now she was more confused then ever. This Joffery was new a d she rather liked him. But the question she found herself asking was would it last?

Sandor

The Stark party was in full swing as he when he got there. He had come to the party at Sansa’s insistence. He had not wanted to be involves a family party. He had no family really, so these things made him very uncomfortable. He sat in the car and sent a text to Sansa saying that he was outside the house.

_Oh great. I have a gift for you. Come on in. –Sansa._

Now he had to go in. He walked to the opened door and let himself in. It was smaller then he had imagined it would be. He was used to the parties that the Baratheons threw. He wandered in the house looking at all the people there. He was uncomfortable being there.

"Can I help you?" Someone asked tapping him on the shoulder.

"No, I am just looking for Sansa. We’re friends, fro. School." Sandor said to a young man.

"You must be Sandor. It is nice to meet you. I'm Robb, Sansa’s older brother. She says you are her best friend here." Robb leaned against the fireplace in the family room where they found themselves in.

"I guess you could say that. We have most of the same classes together. She is dating one of my buddies." Sandor said. He was starting to like this guy. He was straight forward and to the point.

"So you are friends with that excuse of a person? That is interesting. You strike me as a pretty normal guy. Why are you friends with him?" Robb asked. He had seemed to already have judged Joffery and bad not liked what he saw.

"We have been in the same class since we were little kids; he has been the QB for all the peewee teams that we have been on. It was never really a choice; it was just sort of forced on me. His friendship I mean." Sandor found himself telling Robb.

"I get that. Why are you letting him date my sister?" Robb asked. He hit the nail on the head. He must have passed some unknown test. He had her brothers approval already.

"She is her own person. She is not someone that you can control. You should know that. She is your sister." Sandor said trying to defend himself.

"She sure is. Neither of them might like it but Sansa and Arya very much alike." Robb laughed. "Sansa went upstairs with Joffery. Something about presents. She should be down soon, or if not I will be going to get her." Robb started to walk away from Sandor. "It was nice meeting you. I can see why my sister is friends with you."

Sandor walked away from the family room and walked to the stairs. Sansa was looking around the hall. When she saw him she smiled and waved. He made his way to her side.

"Sandor, I am so happy to see you." Sansa smiled up at him.

"Good to see you too. Where is Joffery?" He looked around. Joffery was not there with her. He looked back to Sansa to make sure she was not hurt from her time with Joffery alone.

"He went to get us some drinks. He should be back shortly. I have your gift here with me." She handed him a festive bag.

He peered inside the bag and saw a book on astronomy and a small box inside the bag. He pulled out the box and opened it. It was a key chain with a piece of a rock on it. He looked up at Sansa confused.

"It is a piece of a star. Or that is what the guy at the store said. It reminded me of you and I had to get it. I have one too." Sansa blushed.

"Thanks so much. This stuff is great. I have something for you." He had felt foolish before, getting her this gift. But now he knew it was the right one.

He took out a pair of tickets for the observatory and handed them to her.

"I got these tickets for you. They can be used any time. They will close it down for you and whoever you decide to take." He had called a lot of favors to get these tickets. He had hoped he would be the one she used them with, but that was a secret hope

"This is amazing Sandor. How did you pull this off?" Sansa kept looking at the tickets in her hand.

"I volunteer there and they are doing me a favor. It’s nothing." He just kept looking at the star key chain.

"Well you will just have to come with me. You went to all the trouble to get this all set up. You will be my plus one." She smiled up at him and his heart skipped a beat. She laid her hand on his arm and leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He could not believe that she had just kissed him. It wasn't like it was a kiss on the mouth, but it was more then he dreamed he would get.

"Um, I think I could do that. I see Joffery coming back. I think I am going to go before he sees me." Sandor turned and fled so he would not have to feel guilty about his so called friend's girlfriend kissing him.

He made it to the other end of the room and Robb came up beside him. He didn’t say anything for a while, just stood there watching Sansa, like he was doing.

“You know I know my sister very well. She is not herself around that boy. But just then, with you, that was the Sansa I have always known. Whatever you do, keep up the good work. I like you, so I’m pulling for you mate.” The older boy clasped his hand on his shoulder and walked away.

Sandor stood there digesting what Robb had said. Sansa’s brother didn’t like her boyfriend. Now much sway would that hold with her? He wished he knew, because he knew every day Joffery became more agitated that she hadn’t had sex with him, and he was not a person to wait. Sandor felt in his stomach that Joffery would eventually get what he wanted, one way or another.

Gendry

Arya had invited him to the holiday party at her house. He was sure that she would not invite him. So when she sent him that text saying he should come to her house he had been over the moon. This meant that she still liked him, that there was still a chance.

But when he got to the house and got out of his car he had seen Jaqen get out of his car and start walking to the door as well he felt anger surge. Anger at Arya, Jaqen and himself. He should have known that she would have invited both of them that was just how she was.

"Gendry, nice to see you." Jaqen gave a fast nod of his head.

"Jaqen." Gendry did not nod his head. His hands were balled into fists and he was clenching his jaw so he did not say anything that he would regret.

They stood in the doorway looking over the gathering of the party. He was pleased to note that he was taller then Jaqen. It was something stupid to be pleased with, but the guy was close to Arya, to great. So he would take what he would get. He saw Arya by Aegon and Myrcella. There was an attractive guy standing beside her. He was even more annoyed. Then he just took a breath and realized that he must be her brother. He calmed down a little.

But the look on Arya’s face was not happy; she looked like she was going to be sick. Was she coming down with something? He waved and Jaqen did as well. They turned and looked at each other. They glared at one another. When he looked back to Arya she was getting a small slap in the face by Myrcella and her brother was walking over to them.

"Good evening gents. I am Jon. I invited you to the party tonight. I used Arya’s phone while she got ready. I hope you don’t mind the subterfuge. I told Arya that I would meet you both, so I set up the opportunity. She would have dragged the affair on longer then needed. I decided to take the bull by the horns at it were. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand and Jaqen and Gendry stole a fast look at each other before both reaching for his hand.

Gendry got it first and introduced himself.

“I’, Gendry Waters. Pleased to meet you Jon. Arya is always talking about you. I feel as if I know you already.” He pumped the other man’s hand, pleased he had said something truthful.

"I figured that you were Gendry." Jon said once he was done shaking his hand. "And it is nice to meet you both” He shook Jaqen’s hand as well, but he didn’t say a word. Not good. “Now if you would come in we can go into my fathers study and we could get to know each other, unless you would prefer to do this separately?"

"Do what exactly?" Gendry asked.

"The integration from a very protective older brother. It is the standard procedure to be able to get close to one of my sisters. I hope you don’t mind. We Northerners are over protective to a fault.” Jon smiled at them, but there was something in his eye he took this business seriously. “We will do this separately. I think that might be best. Jaqen since you are closer to the study why don't you come with me?" Jon said indicating Ned’s study.

"Of course." Jaqen said in his tight lipped manner that he had when he was around people.

Gendry watched them walk away and shook his head trying to clear it. He wiped his now sweating hands on his pants and walked to where Aegon was standing. Myrcella and Arya had disappeared.

"Hey there pal. I saw you with Jon. Is he going to take you behind the house and beat you up for making out with his sister?" Aegon joked.

Gendry’s face paled. Oh god’s did he know about that? "I hope not. He just wants to get to know me. Do you know what the hell this is about?"

"Cella said something about Arya not being able to choose so she is going to let Jon pick for her." His friend said lightly, as if this happened all the time.

"Oh for shits sake! This is not cool man." Gendry rubbed his eyes with his hand.

"Look there is your best friend. Sandor over here!" Aegon shouted. He was clearly trying to distract him. It wasn’t working.

Sandor made his way over to then holding on to the straps of a red gift bag with green stripes on it.

"Why do you have a gift bag?" Gendry asked.

"Gift from Sansa." He replied.

"What did she get you?" Aegon asked.

Sandor looked Aegon over and decided that just because he could make him squish him like a bug he would not. Gendry laughed quietly to himself.

"A book and a key chain." Sandor said in a clipped reply.

"That's not to bad, at least she got you something. Arya got Gendry an interrogation from her brothers." Aegon said watching as Gendry’s face turned beet red.

"Good luck with that. I got questioned my Robb. He was nice, I guess." Sandor said looking over at Sansa and Joffery.

"So you got questioned? That makes me feel a little better. Do you want to know the best part? Jaqen is here too. He is getting asked his questions now. I don't get this. Her dad liked me, I think. Why does it matter if her bothers do?" Gendry let his temper show now while he could.

"Arya is different buddy." Aegon said with a shrug. "Look here comes My Cella." Gendry as Aegon’s face lit up. He had just lost his best friend to the love bug. He looked at Sandor and he rolled their eyes.

"Hey Gendry, Sandor. Aegon I am not your My Cella." She greeted them after kissing Aegon and pulling his arm around her waist. "Arya wants to see you Gendry. She is in the kitchen." She looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn’t. Whatever Arya to say he would have no hints.

Gendry walked to where Myrcella had nodded. He went in and found Arya sitting at a table in the back corner of the room.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked in a soft voice.

"Yes. I don't want you to feel bad. About my brother. He is just protective." She looked up at him.

"I hear that you want him to pick which one of us you want to date." Gendry sat down next to her at the table.

"Was it Aegon or Myrcella that told you that?" Arya sounded annoyed now.

"Aegon. He was the one who spilled the beans. Are you sure you need to have Jon choose?" Gendry asked.

"Gendry I really do like you. I do. We get along so well together and there is something there between us. I won't deny that. But there is something about Jaqen as well. I don't know who to choose." Arya whispered.

Gendry reached his hand over to her and held it.

"It is okay Arya. I know that you are having a hard time. I want to try to make things easy on you. Jaqen is in with Jon now. When he is done it will be my turn and I will get to be questioned. Any tips?" He asked.

She gave him a sad desperate smile and looked at him. Tears were welling up in her eyes and he felt something pull at his heart in a way that he had ever felt not before. He wanted to protect her, even from herself. He put his hand on her face and stroked her cheek.

"It is alright Arya. I won't make things harder at all for you. Really." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

They sat there for a long while just looking at one another. There were so many things he wanted to say. Mostly about how creepy Jaqen was, but he figured he could tell her brothers. They she would lessen to without getting angry.

"There you are Gendry. It is your turn." Jon said in a slight sing song tone of voice.

"I will see you later. Okay?" He kept his eyes on Arya’s face.

She nodded once and then he went with Jon to the patio behind the kitchen.

"So Jon what do you want to know." Gendry asked.

"Blunt, straight to the point. I like that." Jon said. "What I want to know is do you like my sister or do you just want to use her, like Sansa’s boyfriend is using her?" Jon was also blunt. A quilt he and his sister shared.

"I like her. She is to good for words. I can't even begin to tell you what it is about your sister that I like. It doesn't hurt that she knows how to take a car apart and put it back together again. I think that I have you to thank for that." Gendry said looking over at Jon.

"You are good for her. I think that if things were different you and I was have been friends." Jon said. "But that Jaqen is something that Arya is not used to. He is artistic and worldly. You don't seem like an idiot, I can see that. I know that you are smart. But he is different." Jon said.

Ge dry decided now was the time to tell him the truth. He took a deep breath and told Jon what happened at the party, after he kissed his sister.

“I don’t want to say this, nut there is something not right, but there is something not right with Jaqen. He is obsessed with her. Almost to the scary point. He threatened me, once. He told me to watch my back. That he would have her, no matter what. I like your sister, deeply and truly. But I also want to protect her. From him. She’s the kind of girl that doesn’t see the bad in people until its to late. In never want to see her get to that point.” He felt a weight come off his chest as he spoke. At least now of the concern makes its way to Arya it will be from someone she trusts.

“I got that vibe too. That’s why I don’t really like the guy. Keep up the good work Grundy. She really likes you.” Jon smiled at him in the lights.

"Thanks for the pep talk." Gendry huffed kicking a rock down the path.

"I am just giving you an update on what you are up against." Jon said.

"So do I have a chance? I mean will you put a good word in for me?" Gendry asked Jon, trying to keep hope out of his voice.

"Yeah. And I am not going to grill you like I did Jaqen. My dad likes you, so I don’t feel the need to badger you." Jon smiled. "So are you going to tell me about the present that you are helping Arya work on?"

"Are you kidding me? Your sister would have my hide if I told you about that." Gendry laughed. Jon laughed with him.

"We should get into the house. Come on. Robb and Theon want to meet you. Don't worry they will be nice." He cuffed him softly on the shoulder, already liking his odds. If Jon was this cool her other brothers had to be cool as well.

“Show me the way. Lets meet the others.” He smiled brightly, knowing he had passed the first test.

The two young men walked into the house and started talking about cars.

Jaqen

Jaqen was not amused that Gendry was invited to the party or that Jon wanted to ask him questions. He went along with it because he knew that this was what Arya wanted. He went into the study with Jon and sat in the chair that Jon indicated. Two other young men were sitting there as well.

"Jaqen this is Robb and Theon." Jon nodded his head to the two others.

"Hello. You must be the other older brothers." Jaqen said.

"Yes we are." Theon said as he stood and poured himself a drink. "Would you like a drink Jaqen?"

"No thank you I do not drink." Jaqen said.

"That is good. I would not like my sister being with a drunk." Robb said.

"Keep these things to yourself Robb." Jon said. "This is about Arya not Sansa."

"That's right I can do that." Robb grumbled.

"So why do you want to date my sister?" Jon said.

"Because she makes me better. She makes my art better and my outlook on life as well." Jaqen said truthfully.

"So she's your muse? Can you still use her to make your art, without her being her boyfriend?" Jon asked.

"One of the people who buys my paintings thinks that my work would be better if she was just the object of my desire and not the cure." Jaqen laughed. At this point Jon had left, leaving the questioning to the other two.

He sat there and answered all the questions that they put to him. How many girlfriends had he had, how many girl had he slept with, was he a good student, what was his family life like. How would he treat Arya if they did end up dating? He felt like he was getting grilled by the police. When they got tired of asking all the questions they finally let him go. He stood and shook their hands and walked out of the room to find Arya.

He found her sitting at the kitchen table. She was looking at her hand. She looked breath taking in the pale light. She was in a black and silver dress with purple shoes under her chair. The dress was so tight that it showed off all her curves and made her look amazing. Her purple tipped hair was flipped up and showing.

"Hello there Lovely Girl. I just had an interesting chat with your brothers. My favorite question was from Theon. He asked what my preferred sexual position was. Jon punched him in the arm for that one. I didn't answer it." Jaqen said sitting down in the seat next to her.

Arya gave a halfhearted laugh and looked over at him.

"That sounds just like Theon." She gave a halfhearted laugh. He decided to change the subject.

"I have a painting for you. It is in my car. Its you your Christmas present. Would you like to come with me to get it?" He kept his voice ever, as if he was talking to a wild, but caged animal.

"Sure." She stood and started to walk out the kitchen. He walked with her to the front door and slipped out of it and they went to his jeep. He felt a slight trepidation about giving her the picture. It was the one that he had made of the North with the cabin. He had wrapped it in the brown paper and twine.

"Let's take this inside." Arya said. "I want to be able to see it."

He walked back with her to the house as she lugged a large painting with her.

"Here let me take that Arya." He tried to take the painting from her.

"I have it, thanks." She took it from him.

"All right." Jaqen said. He knew that she was in a mood and that it was something's that he just had to let her do.

They went into her fathers study. It was empty. He did not like this room, since it was where he was questioned. But he went with her into the room. She got the scissors off her fathers desk and cut the twine and unwrapped the paper. She looked at the painting.

"Oh Jaqen. This looks just like home. This is perfect. I love this. I wish that I could be there right now." Arya said touching the picture tender fingers.

"I am glad that you like it." He said coming behind her.

"I really like it." She said. "Thank you so much." She kissed him on the cheek and looked at the painting again. "We should get back out to the party. I should go say hi to my fathers guests." Arya walked out of the room in a trance.

He looked at the painting. He knew it was his best work yet. But all it got him was a kiss on the cheek and a dismissal. Arya must not be feeling well. That was it. He had half been erecting her to fall into his arms and profess her love for him. But her brothers had changed things. No matter. Je would have her in the end. One way or another.

Arya

She had stayed by Myrcellas side for the rest of the evening, much to Aegons annoyance. She was to ashamed at what her brothers had done. She had wanted Jon to talk to them, but she was not expecting then to do it here at the party. She had not invited either of them to the party for a reason. She was not ready to face Gendry or Jaqen. She had done everything she could to not be alone with them since her dates with them.

She knew that if she was alone for extended periods of time she would end up making out with whoever it was that she was with.

So when she saw them both in the doorway of the house she had felt that the world should open up and swallow her up whole. As soon as Jon had walked away she went into shock and she didn't even feel Myrcella poking her in the face. It wasn't until Myrcella gave her a small slap that she came to. It was like she was pulling herself up to the surface of the water.

"Arya are you okay?" Myrcella had asked.

"I don't know. Can we get out of here? I don't care if it is in the broom cupboard, I just don't think I can talk to either of them yet." Arya hated how her voice sounded so weak and girly.

"Of course. Come on Arya." Myrcella led her to the kitchen. Myrcella made her a cup of tea and sat her down at the table.

"What am I going to do Myrcella? I feel like a fool for asking my brothers to talk to Gendry and Jaqen. The last two weeks have been hard on me. I just wanted to know for sure that I was making the right choice. I am just so conflicted." She said with her hands wrapped around her mug of tea.

"If Aegon had not swept me off my feet I would have been pining away for Gendry for the rest of my life." Myrcella said.

"You are so lucky. I should have just waited around for him to like me. Then things would be easy for me." Arya joked.

""You better take that back. I can be a scrappy bitch when I want to be." Myrcella said.

Arya laughed and she knew that Myrcella was only half joking.

"So I know that you like Gendry. And you have gotten to know Jaqen. So what am I going to do now Myrcella? You know them, tell me what to do." Arya pleaded.

"I am not going to pick who you should date. That is your choice." Myrcella said as she patted her friend on the hand. "I am going to get back to my boyfriend. You stay here and think. It seems like you need time to do it."

"Okay. Hey if you see Gendry or Jaqen can you tell them that I am in here?" Arya asked.

"Sure thing sweetie." Myrcella walked away and looked back at Arya. "I do no not wish to be you."

Arya laid her head on the table and drained the remaining tea in her cup. She was sitting there alone thinking about who she should pick.

Gendry walked into the kitchen and she felt her heart do a flip flop. It always did when she was with him. They sat there and had a little talk and her before her brother came in and took him away. She watched them talk in the back yard. They were acting like they were old friends. She smiled watching them talk. She knew that they would get along.

She heard the door of the kitchen open. Jaqen walked into the room and he tried to make some joke about Theon asking dumb questions and then told her about a painting that he made for her. She had gotten the painting inside and opened it. It looked just like home. If there was any way that she could have stayed there looking at it she would have.

She went and waved and mingled with the people at the party. Gendry and Jaqen had left the house not long after they had had their talks with her brothers. She was sad she didn’t have long to talk to them. The brothers had said goodbye to both boys before she could and went back to her fathers study to look at the painting. Jon was there looking at it when she found him

"This is good. Is it Jaqen?" Jon said standing up completely.

"It is. He is a very great painter." She said taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"So do you want my findings?" Jon joked.

"Sure. I saw you getting all buddy buddy with Gendry. So I know that you like him. What do you think of Jaqen?" She asked.

"I think Gendry would be good for you. Jaqen is not going to be around for much longer. He is going East for art school in March. He got an early acceptance to that school that he wanted to go to." Jon said looking his sister in the eye. He wanted to say more but was letting her down gently.

"He would have told me that." She said.

"He just found out. He will tell you." Jon said. "So if you want a short fling then Jaqen is your guy. But if you want a long term relationship, which I think would be better for you; I say you should date Gendry."

"I have a lot to think about. Can you help me take the painting to my room?" She asked. "I need to shower and get out of this dress."

"Sure thing Little Wolf. I hope that this helped you." He stood rubbing her shoulders.

"I guess that it did. Thanks Jon." She walked out of the door and up the stairs to her bedroom and collected her things to get ready for her shower. She knew Jon would follow with the painting when that party slowed down some. She should have stayed but her heart wasn’t in it. She felt like a sleepwalker. Arya undressed and stood naked in her room looking at her body in the mirror. She saw nothing to fight over, but men were crazy. When she was in the bathroom she turned the water on and stepped into it. She let herself relax in the shower. The hot water melted her tense muscles. The hard part was still to come. She had to pick which guy to be with. Was this never going to end?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since tis the season I figured you needed a Christmas chapter. And since it is the season remember to review! Hope you liked it!


	18. New Year, New Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First I want to say thanks for all the support. I was going to wait for the real New Year to post this, but I couldn't wait. So here it is. Enjoy!

Arya

Christmas had been amazing. It was different. She had missed the snow, the caroling and the burning of the Yule Log. Her family always held a party for the town of Winterfell that was talked about all year long. She pretended to hate that, but she found herself missing it all. She never thought those stupid traditions would impact her so much but they did once she moved down South.

She hated parties at the Baratheon’s house. Everything was so fake and forced. She was only here at the New Year's party was for Myrcella. There was no other reason that she should be here. She had wanted to go to a party with the guys. They were going to play a gig and make some money for a change. Instead she found herself in another dress and heels and had her makeup on and her hair done. She decided to do things different and was in pink, not girly pink but high lighter pink. Her mother had not been pleased until she said Al least she didn’t have a fake Mohawk for her hair. The issue was dropped.

She was standing to Myrcella on a balcony waiting for the fireworks to start. They were both given champagne from Robert Baratheon and shooed away before her parents found out.

"This stuff smells funny and the bubbles in it make my nose hurt when I smell it." Arya said as she sniffed the glass.

"It's more of a symbol then anything. We don't have to drink it." Myrcella said sadly. "I wish that I was with Aegon rather then these puffed up painted peacocks."

"I wish that I was with the guys." Arya was leaning against the railing. She had a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Guys? Don't you mean Gendry? He did want to take you out tonight." Myrcella asked. Arya blushed.

"I would have gone. I wanted to. But he backed down. If he would not have given up so easily I know that my dad would have let me go. But Gendry just gave up." Arya was getting angry and sad all at the same time.

"He didn't want to make you suffer I am sure. At least not till you made a decision." Myrcella said.

"God I wish that one of them would just have the balls to ask me out. Not on a date but to be their girlfriend. That would make things so easy. Then I would not have to choose and one of them would have showed that they have the balls to say "Hey I like you and want to be your boyfriend." But they have to be all "Let the girl pick." It is all so stupid." Arya was bitching and she knew it.

"Do you really want them to make your choice for you?" Myrcella could not make herself sound happy.

"Yes. I gave that choice to Jon, but he really didn't say anything to help me make a choice. All he said was that if I wanted a long term go with Gendry, and for a short term go with Jaqen. That is not helpful." She sighed. Her brothers had been her ace in the hole. They had failed her on that. They had never failed her before.

"Well he has a point. Jaqen is leaving in a little while. Long distance relationships don't last. Just date Gendry. You two are made for each other. Like Aegon and I are meant for each other." Myrcella gave a wistful sigh. Arya pocked on that contented sound. She turned to her friend and was slightly intrigued.

"You have it bad don't you?" Arya chuckled.

"We sort of did it. After your party. He took me to his place and we did it." Myrcella blushed.

Arya was silent. Her best friend ever had been sitting on this for a week and had not told her? This nugget would have been the perfect thing to make her not think of things.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Arya demanded.

"I was keeping it between us and we were keeping it in the bubble of happiness. I didn't want it to pop. It was amazing Arya. I have never felt so happy and care free before. Weightless and boneless and amazing." Myrcellas sad attitude was suddenly gone and she was something completely different.

"That good huh? Your happiness bubble wasn’t the only thing popped." Arya chuckled and nudged her friend in the ribs. Her friend let go of the popped comment.

"More then that good. It was the best thing ever." Myrcella smiled at her friend. "If you would just make a decision you would know what I am feeling. It is GREAT." She yelled as the first of the fireworks shot into the air.

The air filled with flowers of reds and greens. The two girls looked up and watched as the sparks came cascading down. The sound was deafening and they couldn’t talk. They watched the show and rang in the New Year. Arya took a sip of the champagne and did not like the taste and dumped it over the railing. Myrcella followed suit with hers. They hugged and then started to text their friends that they couldn't be with Happy New Years.

Arya’s phone started to buzz. It was from Gendry. She opened the message and all she could do was look at the text.

_Arya I want you to go out with me. Not just on a date, but to be my girlfriend. So what do you think?-Gendry_

Arya nudged Myrcella and showed her the phone. Myrcella gave her the thumbs up.

Then her phone was buzzing again with another text

_I have liked you since I first saw you. I have wanted to ask you out before, but I was to chicken. Will you please please say yes?_

Arya giggled at the text and shook her head. She was so happy that one of them took the choice out of her hands, but now what was she going to do now? How was she going to tell Jaqen that she had picked Gendry? Or how was she going to stop having feelings for him? Well first thing first, she was going to tell Gendry yes, but after she tells Jon.

_Jon guess what? Gendry asked me out. I think that I am going to say yes to him. –Arya_

_That’s good Little Wolf. If you want to leave I can take you away from here. This is a snore fest. We can take Myrcella too. –Jon_

_That would be great. I just have to make a quick text._ _Thanks for the help Jon. –Arya_

"Hey Myrcella do you want to get out of here?" Arya asked.

"You know that I do, but that is not happening." Myrcella huffed. "How are we going to do this? Just walk out of here?"

"No. Jon said that he wanted to leave here too. He said that he would spring us." Arya told her friend her eyes on her phone sending Gendry a text message.

_God it took you long enough to ask me. I accept. I really do. I have some good news. Myrcella, Jon and I are splitting from this shitty party and are coming to your gig. –Arya._

_That is so great. I’ll see you then. Would you sock me if I called you my girlfriend? –Gendry_

_Girlfriend is fine, but other pet names will have to be approved. –Arya_

_How about Sweet Lips or Sexy Bod Girl? –Gendry_

_I am going to sock you. That is a big fat hell no. –Arya_

_We will talk about this later. I have to go get back on stage. Beric is going to have a fit when he hears that another one of his band members has a girlfriend. –Gendry_

_Play great. I’ll see you soon. –Arya_

Arya and Myrcella walked down the stairs and went to where Jon was waiting for them. Arya hated Myrcellas house. It was so easy to get lost here.

"Your knight in shining armor is here to rescue you poor maidens. Come on, your pumpkin awaits you." Jon swung his arms out and gave the girls a bow.

"Let's get out of here you big lug. I have a boyfriend to meet." Myrcella said dragging Jon and Arya to the door. "And so does Arya."

"You did good Little Wolf. I liked him the best, even if he wouldn't tell me what your two are doing with that project that I know has to do with me." Jon raised his hand to ruffle her hair.

"Jon Stark if you touch my hair I will break your arm." She growled.

“You never were this touchy about your hair before. Now let’s go. Dad talked to your father Myrcella. You have the freedom for the evening. Now let’s blow this joint.” Jon ushered girls out of the crowded garden area. They walked out to the valet area. Jon gave them the key paper. They waited for a rented car to be pulled up.

“This place is a zoo.” Arya huffed.

“I know. I miss our parties at home. Myrcella how do you live like this?” Jon asked.

“I do what I have to do.” She shrugged. “We here in Kings Landis g learn to live with what we have to. We might hate it, but it’s how things work here.”

“Well they suck.” Jon said as the car pulled up. “Come on girls. Let’s get the hell out of here to a real party.”

The three piled into the car. Arya was elated that she was leaving the party. She was over joyed that she was on her way to see her boyfriend. She couldn’t get over saying the word, even in her head. She had a boyfriend. Gendry Waters was her boyfriend and she was elated.

Gendry

He was over the moon. He had asked Arya out and she had said yes. After Aegon had showed him a text from Myrcella saying that Arya wanted him to take the bull by the horns and grow a pair and ask her out, he knew that he had to do it first. So he did. Now she was on her way to the gig and he was so happy he was playing like he had never played before.

His fingers flew over the strings of the guitar. He was in the zone and he was going to play like he was the best he ever could.

They had played six songs when he saw a hot pink dress and he knew that Arya was there. He smiled and continued to play. He watched as she made her way up to the stage to stand right in front of him. She was smiling and swaying to the music. He was so pumped up that she was there as his girlfriend.

Beric signaled that the next song was going to be the last song. The crowed sounded disappointed and started yelling for more. More from the band. He knew that under normal circumstances he would have wanted to play more, but not tonight. He just wanted to get off the stage and see Arya.

They played and rocked and made the crowd yell for more. Beric looked at his band mates and wanted to play one more song. But the looks on Aegon and Gendry’s faces stopped him.

"Thank you guys. You have been great. The Guys and I want you thank you! Good night!" Beric said into the mick and they put down their equipment and Aegon and Gendry rushed off the stage and over to their girls. Gendry had total tunnel vision. He didn't see Jon standing beside Arya. He just saw her and how, beautiful she was. He picked her up off the ground and crushed his lips to hers. He couldn't stop himself, he let his hands roam over her body and his tongue entered her mouth. He kissed her hard and deep. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, invoking a deep pure from her. He was egged on by the sound. Je loved that he could invoke that sound from her. He wanted to do it again.

There was a tap on his shoulder. He ignored it and continued to make out with his new girlfriend. There was another tap in his shoulder.

"Gendry, earth to Gendry. If you don’t stop kissing my little sister like that I will be forced to rip your arms out of their sockets and beat you to death with them." A soft smooth voice said in his ear.

He pulled his mouth away from the kiss and dropped his arms from Arya. He didn't wasn't to stop but he knew that Jon would do what he said. He was more frightened of Jon then he was turned on by Arya.

"That's more like it. Now as long as I am here you will do nothing but hold her hand." Jon looked over at Gendry.

"Jon that is enough of that. I have walked in on you doing more then kissing one of your girlfriends through the years. I don’t think that you have any right to tell my boyfriend that he can't kiss me." Arya bristled.

"It’s okay Arya. I don't think that I want to die." Gendry said. Jon just laughed.

They had a good time for the rest of the party. Jon had told the Starks that he was with the girls so they got to stay out till past curfew and they went home at two then one. Arya and Gendry sat in a corner and talked for most of the night. They had more in common then they knew. He was telling her a funny story about when he first met Myrcella and her brother. She told him about the time that Bran had gotten his foot stuck in a tub of oil when he had come to watch their brothers work on cars. He was having a good time talking to her, just talking. Then it was time for him to go.

"Arya I am so happy that you said yes." He said as she stood there looking up at him.

"I am happy that you asked. Everyone said that I should pick you. But I wanted someone to pick me first." She whispered looking at the logo on his chest.

"Gods Arya I wanted you from the moment that I saw you. And you look amazing in this dress. Almost as good as the first time that I saw you. And I was fighting for you." He said tilting her face up.

"Well I couldn't tell.” She gave him a small smack on the arm but smiled at him before her face turned serious. “I have to tell Jaqen. I want to do it in person. Don't get mad okay?" She demanded.

"Well if you go I want you to either have me there or Jon. There is no way that I can just let you go see him alone." Gendry told her trying not to let his dander stand up. He wanted to tell her how Jaqen was a creep and that he was sick and evil. He scared her and made her scared for her. Everything in him made her want to protect her from him.

"Fine. I will take Jon. Happy now. Don’t get so defensive. I’m sure that things will be fine. We are just friends Gendry. From now on." She grabbed his face and gave him a kiss to prove that she was his girl. "I picked you Gendry, don't feel so insecure."

"It is hard not to feel that way when you look that good." He said as he kissed her neck. He started to take the kiss deeper, sucking the tender bits of her neck. She molded her body to his, clearly asking for more, more that he was willing to give.

"That's it you two. I have to get my little sister home and it looks like you need a shower, a very cold shower Gendry." Jon said as he scowled at the two of them. They walked out to the car before she spoke to Jon. She gave Gendry another kiss before stepping away and looking at Jon.

"Yes sir brother dear." Arya said as she got in the car.

"You take care of my sister Gendry. And we are going to stay in touch. I think that we are on the way to having a good friendship here." Jon stuck out his hand and Gendry took it and they shook hands.

"Alright Jon. Since you already have my number from Arya’s phone you can use it anytime." Gendry told Jon.

“You bet your ass I’ll be calling. I know you are working on something with her. And she won’t tell me shit. You are my only way to getting information.” Jon shouted out as he slid in and drove the girls away.

Gendry stood there with Aegon watched them drive away. It was a bitter sweet, watching his girl drive away. He looked at his best friend. He mirrored his look.

“There goes the best thing in my life.” Aegon said. “She is the light of my life. And now that I have had her I want so much more of her.”

“Wait, what! Are you saying what I think you are?” Gendry choked.

“Yeah man, I’m no longer a virgin. And neither is Myrcella.” Aegon said.

“I can’t wait until I know that feeling.” Gendry said softly, but not soft enough.

“How can you still not have done it yet?” Aegon demanded. “There was that girl, last year, you dated forever. I thought you did it then.”

“Nope. I guess I was waiting for the one. And I finally found her. The ONE man.” Gendry shouted.

“Come on lover boy, let’s go home.” Aegon and Gendry walked from the parking lot. Neither of them looked around as they left. If they had they would have seen they were being watched.

Sansa

Joffery was acting like a different person since he had received the cufflinks. He was not as handsy or as slobbery as he usually was when he kissed her. On one occasion when they had made out she had not wanted to vomit afterwards. He was being sweet and nice. She wondered if he had a tumor in his brain that was causing him to change his behavior.

They had been having a relatively good time at the party that night. She had worn the jewels that Joffery had given to her, like she said she would. She knew that she looked good. She had spent all day at the salon. They had given her a treatment that was fit for a queen.

"God Sansa you are the most beautiful thing I have seen in my life." Joffery had said when he had first seen her. "Look here I have on your cufflinks on."

He showed her the cuff links and she smiled at him.

"They look great Joffery. I am so glad that you like them." She said. "Who all is here?"

She looked around at the party for the one person that she had wanted to see most.

"The football team is all here. They are all at the pool house. We have a different kind of party going on there. Come on let’s go. We just have to be back to the main house by the fireworks." Joffery took her hand and pulled her to the other party.

Sansa went with him and they entered the pool area. She was hailed by many of the kids that she went to school with. Margaery came rushing to her side. She took her away from Jofferys and to her surprise she let her be lead away from him.

"Margaery what are you doing?" Sansa asked as she dragged her behind a tree away from the view of the party.

"I think that you should hear this from me. Joffery has been saying that he is only with you to have sex with you. I don't trust him. I want you to be safe." Margery said in a hushed voice.

"He is not going to get that. I think that I would rather die then let that happen." Sansa said. "And I don't think that he would do that. He has been acting differently since Christmas. I think he really likes me Margaery. Either that or he is getting sick and has a tumor." Sansa tried to laugh but Margaery was not amused.

"Just watch yourself. You are too nice of a person to have things like this happen to." Margaery said in a broken voice. Sansa wanted to asker more, but she knew she had better get back to Joffery.

"I have to get back. I want to talk to some of the girls on the squad." Sansa started to turn away and Margaery followed.

"They want to make you co-captain. The coach thinks that you have a real talent for keeping us all on point. We think with you and me we could do well in the competition circuit this year." Margaery was all bubbly and happy again.

"That would be amazing. I really miss being on a squad as a captain. Don't get me wrong, I love being on the team, but I love being a captain." Sansa blushed and they laughed as they walked back to the party.

They mingled and talked with the girls. She was very happy seeing these girls. She didn't feel as much of a connection as she had with the girls from her squad back home, but they were good girls. Sort of stupid, but they were peppy and they could cheer well together.

"Sansa we are so happy that you came to Kings Landing. We have a chance to really do something with the squad. If you want to run for Prom Queen I will totally help you. But I think you might need to find someone different to be your King then Joffery. I mean he is rich, good looking and popular, but he is really weird." A girl named Jeyne gushed.

"Thank you Jeyne. I really appreciate that. Excuse me I have to get another water." She wanted out of this conversation fast.

"You don't want a drink?" Jeyne asked shocked.

"No. I don't drink. My family isn't really into drinking." Sansa said walking over to a get some water.

She was reaching for a bottle of water and her hand bumped into another larger hand. She looked up and saw Sandor standing beside her. She felt a smile light up her face and she just looked at him. She knew that she should have removed her hand, but it felt so right resting on his. He was the one that pulled away first.

"You look well tonight Sansa." He said in his gruff voice.

"Thank you. You look well also. Here, you were reaching for the water." She tried to hand the water to him but he gave it back to her.

"You got it first. You keep it." He leaned down and reached for another one.

"So is there an expiration date on the observatory? I do not think I will be able to use them for a while." She blushed. She really did want to go there with him. But knew Joffery would throw a fit. She was planning on using them once she was free of him.

"There isn't." He opened the water and took a sip of it.

"Oh. Okay. How do you like the book?" Sansa was anxious to know if he liked what she had gotten for him.

"I like it a lot. It was one that I do not have. It is a treasure to me." He said not looking at her.

She was confused because he was not looking at her as they talked. Then she had a flash back to the drunk dial that he made. He had called her a little vixen and in a way admitted that he liked her. Hell he had called Joffery a douche bag, a worm. He had to have feelings for her. She had to break things off with Joffery. If what Margaery said was true and he was only with her for sex then she should be with someone that liked her.

"Sandor if I ask you something would you tell me the truth?" She asked.

"If I can. What is it?" Je was still not looking at her.

"Is Joffery only dating me for sex?" Her voice was small and timid.

Sandor choked on the water that he was drinking and started to cough. She just tried to pat on his back, but she was not tall enough to effectively pat his back.

"Okay, okay that is enough." He wheezed as he stood up. "I don’t think that I will be able to answer that. He likes you, you really made him happy with those cufflinks."

"So he doesn't just want me for sex?" She was happy that Joffery wanted more than just her body.

"I can't answer that. Look Sansa we are friends and I like you, but I can't tell you what you want to know." He looked uncomfortable.

"Right. I will have to ask him, is that right?" She looked up at him and tried to read his face.

"That is up to you Sansa. There are things that should not be asked if you do not want to know the answer to." He said.

He walked away and left her standing by the coolers. He was so confusing and he was not giving her anything to go off of. Did he like her, or did he want her to stay with Joffery?

Sansa walked over to Joffery and she was surprised to see that he had a soda can in his hand. He didn't appear to be drinking and she found that she was pleased. She stayed by his side and he was not as crude as he usually was. He was telling a joke and everyone was laughing. Then he checked his watch.

"We had better get back to the main house. It is almost time for the fireworks." Joffery took Sansa by the elbow and lead her through the crowd. They stood with the group under the balcony. He was kind and sweet and when she started to shiver he took his jacket off and draped it around her shoulders.

"Thank you Joffery." She wanted to ask him if he was only dating her for sex, which they had not had.

"Anything for you Sansa. I just want to keep you happy." He slid his arm around her shoulders.

The people on the grounds were counting down to the New Year and they were counting along. When the clock chimed midnight he kissed her in a fast hurried way. Margaery was there pulling Sansa away from him and hugging her. She was then assaulted by the rest of the cheerleaders. Then she came face to face with Sandor. He looked at her and she looked back at Joffery. Margaery was hugging him. Sansa decided to risk it. She stood up on her toes and kissed him on his lips. It was quick and light, but it sent a shock through her all the way to her toes. Jofferys kisses never made her feel like that.

As her lips were touching Sandor she heard Jeyne scream and Joffery start yelling. She pulled away from Sandor and took her hand off the scarred part of his face and looked over at the commotion. Someone on the balcony had dumped something over the edge. Jayne and Joffery were dripping wet. It was if someone had turned a faucet on them.

"What the hell." Joffery yelled looking up to see who had done that to him. Sansa walked over to him.

"Joffery are you okay?" She asked trying to wipe the liquid off his face.

"Get away from me you stupid bitch." He snapped, pushing her away from him hard enough for her to fall to the ground.

She landed hard on her side and she hit her arm on a flower pot. She heard a snap and she felt eyes well up with tears.

"Oh gods Sansa are you okay?" Margaery said.

"My arm really hurts. I think it is broken." She cradled it to her body and she started to cry.

"Sandor! Can you help me get Sansa to her parents?" Margaery asked.

Sandor came over to where Sansa was sitting on the ground. He gingerly helped her up from the floor. He put her body next to his. He was shielding her from the group of people that were flocking around to see what was happening. They moved away from the group of people and to where he parents were.

"Mr. Stark, there has been an accident. Sansa fell and her arm was hurt." Margaery said as soon as she got to where they were standing.

"Sansa, are you hurt?" Ned turned and looked at his daughter.

"I think that my arm is broken daddy. It hurts really badly." She sobbed and nestled closer into Sandor.

"What happened?" Ned demanded looking up at Sandor.

"Something was spilt on Joffery and Sansa went to see if he was okay, he pushed her and she fell to the ground. She landed on a flower pot and hit her arm with all her weight behind it." Sandor told Ned.

"Come on dear, let's get you to the hospital and get you checked out." Ned tried to take Sansa away from Sandor, but she clung to him.

"Can Sandor come with? I feel wobbly and don't think I can walk. You need to find mom and Robb and let them know. Sandor could you drive us? That way mom and the rest won't be stranded here." Sansa looked between her father and Sandor.

"I see no problem with that. Sandor is that alright with you?" Ned looked Sandor in the eye to gage his answer.

"No sir that is no problem. I would have insisted that I come along. I think that it will be a long night and I can work with Sansa on our chemistry project." Sandor said.

"Oh just what I need. More pain piled up on my arm." She said between tears.

Bran

Bran had conned his way out of going to the New Year's party at the Baratheon house. He had told his mother that he had a splitting headache, which was true, and that he had vomited, which was not true. He was so convincing he did not have to go to the party. But instead of staying bed like he had told her he was going to do was invite Jojen and Meera to hang out under his favorite tree in the back yard. He had invited them over so they could talk about the increasing "episodes" as he called them, or _visions_ as the Reeds called them.

"So you have headaches now? It there sensitivity to light as well?" Jojen asked him as they reclined together.

"Yeah. Plus nose bleeds. How do I get it to stop? I do not want this anymore." Bran said with a cool compress on his head.

"You can't get it to stop buddy. You just going to let things happen the way that they happen." Jojen replied as he sipped his ginger ale.

Bran sat in the Christmas lights that his mother had put up on all the trees in the yard. She was a little fanatical about lights. They were also on every plant in the house as well.

"So how do I cope with this then? I just want it to go away. The headaches are killing me." Bran held his head and moaned in discomfort.

"Jojen has found one thing that made the headaches go away. But you might not like it." Meera said in a sheepish voice.

"What is it? I’ll try anything. Is it some kind of pill or something?" Bran asked in desperation.

"We have found that the only thing that works for Jojen is pot. He smokes pot and it the headaches go away and so do the visions." Meera said to Bran to gauge his reaction.

"Pot, as in marijuana? Isn't that illegal?" Bran was struck dumb.

"It is not if you have a medical card." Jojen piped up. "This is the West Coast. We do tend to be progressive here."

"I know that. We have them where I grew up too. But my parents are anti-drug" Bran snapped. He was getting irritated.

Just when he was thinking that these people were normal, they did something to throw him for a loop. Jojen smoked pot and had  _visions_. Meera acted like a protector and a mother duck. But they were the only people at Kings Landing that were not intimidated by his brain or thought that he was a freak for being so smart. Why couldn't he have met normal people?

"It really helps?" Bran was skeptical, like always when it came to everything that the Reeds said.

"Yes." Jojen was so sure of what he was saying that Bran believed him. "I have some here with me if you want to try it." Jojen pulled a little baggie out of his pocket and showed it to Bran.

"Are you sure that it will make my head stop pounding?" His headache was getting worse by the second and he felt another nose bleed coming up. And when he had a nose bleed he always had an episode.

"It might work for you. It works for me." Jojen proceeded to make a marijuana cigarette and lit it, taking a puff off of it himself before handing it to Bran.

Bran took the joint and took a puff off it. He had read a book on the proper way to inhale, but he soon realized that reading it and doing it were two different things. He started to cough uncontrollably and his eyes watered.

"Is there another way to do this? Like can't I eat it or something?" Bran coughed out.

"Sure there is. Here I have a cookie, I don't always like to smoke. The smell is over powering." Jojen reached into his backpack and gave Bran an oatmeal cookie.

Bran took a bite. It was a great cookie. If he hadn’t known better he would have never known it was a pot cookie. After one bite was down he looked at Jojen smoking more off his cigarette. Since the cookie was so good he ate two more bites. He was already feeling better. He figured that he hadn't done the thing smoking completely wrong if he was feeling something already. Then he realized that Jojen was blowing the smoke in Brans direction. That was the cause. But he didn’t care, not at all. For the first time in weeks his head was not pounding. There was still pressure behind his eye, but the pounding had gone. He felt like himself again.

"I feel a little better. Thanks. How long will this last?" He lay back on the yard chair he was sitting on. The lights on the trees started to dance before him.

"Depends. Since this is your first time it could last for a while. Just go with it Bran. You don't have to question everything." Meera said as she stood up from her place up wind of the boys and walked over to Bran. She looked him in the eye and placed her hand on his face. He nuzzled into it like a cat does when they are with their owner. "Bran has left the building." She chuckled and went back to her place up wind.

When she had been standing before him, Bran could have sworn that she was surrounded by lights that danced around her like fairies. Then he looked over at the trees and they were performing Swan Lake. He had never seen anything so outrageous in his entire life and started laughing. It started out as a giggle then he was doubled over with his head between his knees laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe.

"Bran. Bran are you okay? What is so funny Bran?" Meera was beside him again shaking his shoulders.

"The trees. They’re doing ballet." He fell back on to the lounge chair and continued laughing.

Jojen stopped looking up at the stars and looked over at the trees. His eyes almost popped out of his head. "Oh my god Bran you are so fucking right. Shit. Do you think they can see us? Oh wow! They’re on their toes!" He started to snort and this set both boys over the edge once again.

"You two are the worst. I thought that one idiot was bad, but two it a nightmare. I am going to be right over there reading. Let me know what is going on sometimes. But for the most part keep things to yourselves." Meera stalked away in a bad mood.

"What is wrong with her?" Bran asked after he had mild control of himself.

"She’s mad because she can't use pot. One of us has to be the responsible ones. Thank the gods I am the younger brother. It would suck being the oldest." Jojen fell into the giggles again and Bran followed.

Sandor

He sat in an ER room cubical with Ned Stark as Sansa went to get her arm x-rayed. He sat there in a strange silence as he looked in back issues of People Magazine. He had held Sansa tight to his side on the drive over to the hospital. He was hot and cold with anger and fear. How had he broken her arm?

"Did he mean to hurt her?" Ned finally asked.

"I don’t think so sir. I think that it was just an accident." Sandor said. He wanted that to be the truth.

"You don’t have to lie for him. If he did intentionally hurt her I won't do anything to him, his mother would probably kill me. But I would like to know the truth." Ned's voice was quiet and sounded deadly.

"Something spilled on him, she went to see and then he had a freak out and pushed her. I don't think that he even realized he had done anything to hurt her. When he gets angry he gets tunnel vision. It happens to him all the time. He left before we realized she fell hard." Sandor told Ned.

"Is he violent?" Ned demanded.

"I don't really feel comfortable with this sir. I mean no offence sir, but I don’t like to gossip." Sandor looked him in the eye as he said what he needed to say. He really did not want to talk about Joffery wit Ned Stark. He would tell more then he should.

"I understand Sandor. Thank you for being so honest with me. And I want you to know that I appreciate how kind you have been to my daughter." Ned said turning back to the magazine.

Sansa was wheeled back into the room by the nurse. She looked like she was in less pain. Sandor suspected that the pain medication that they had given her an hour before while they were waiting had finally kicked in.

"How bad is it? Is her arm broken?" Ned asked the nurse as she helped Sansa onto the bed to relax. Sansa was pale and unsteady on her feet.

"The doctor will be in shortly to talk with you. I am sorry that I have no real information for you Mr. Stark." The nurse said as she tucked Sansa in and hooked the IV bag onto the poll by the bed.

"When did she get the IV?" Sandor asked. He knew that he was just there as their ride, but he couldn't help himself.

"She checked out as dehydrated and I put one in when we were waiting for the x-ray. I also had to give her an anti-nausea med. That with the combination of the pain pill will cause her to be a little loopy." The nurse advised to them.

Sandor looked down at Sansa on the bed. She looked like she was on deaths door and was going to die at any moment. He was so very concerned for her that he would he would sit there with her father in an uncomfortable silence for hours as long as he got to make sure that she was alright.

"Is the doctor out here?" Ned asked the nurse started to leave.

"Yes Mr. Stark. But he should be in in a little while if you want to wait." The nurse said with her hand on the door to the room.

"There are things that I want to talk to him about in privet." Ned said in a tone of voice that let everyone know that he was not to be argued with.

He walked out of the room with the nurse. Sandor looked back at the bed and Sansa had her eyes opened and was looking at him. She opened her hand and motioned for him to come closer to her. He got up and walked over to her side and sat on a chair by the bed. She took his hand and smiled at him.

"I am so happy that you are here Sandor. You are making me feel so much better." She had a slight slur to her speech.

"I am happy to be here making sure you are okay." He stroked his thumb across her knuckles. He realized what he was doing was not supposed to be his job, but he couldn't help it.

"Climb onto the bed and hold me." She gave him that little vixen smile of hers that left him weak in the knees.

"I don't think that that would be appropriate. So you are just going to have to settle for me holding your hand here." He smiled at her and reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I am the most stupidest person in the world. Do you know that?" She giggled as she asked.

"You are not stupid. You are in pain and in the hospital." He tried to sooth her.

"No I am stupid. I am wasting my time and I should not be wasting it." She shook her head from side to side.

"That is enough of that Sansa. No more talk like that." He told her.

"Okay Sandor whatever you say." She clung to his hand tighter and closed her eyes.

Ned walked in with the doctor beside him.

"Well Miss Stark you do indeed have a small break in your arm. The nurse will be in shortly to help set and put the cast on it." The doctor smiled at her.

"Is it going to hurt? Sandor will you still hold my hand when they put the cast on?" She looked over at Sandor with eyes the size of saucers.

"If it is what you want I will." He reassured her.

Sansa nodded her head repeatedly. The nurse came in and with the equipment to make the cast. Her doctor walked out and returned with a medication bottle and a syringe and administered some more pain medication to the IV.

"This is for the pain." He said looking down at Sansa. She gave him a watery smile.

The nurse and the doctor went about realigning her broken arm and putting her in a cast. They made it a red one, like she had asked for. Sandor knew that it was so it would match her car. She tried to hold still like the doctor had told her to do, but she kept squeezing Sandor’s hand tighter as they continued to work. He looked over at her father and saw a strange look on his face. He looked back to Sansa when she hissed in pain.

"Now all we have to do is wait for it to dry and you are free to go. I am going to give you some pain medication for the discomfort at home." The doctor said removing his gloves. "I will give you some information about the pain meds and the side effects as well as something about how to care for a cast."

"We have had plenty of children with broken bones. My older sons had quite a few injuries playing sports. I think my wife and I know everything about them." Ned laughed as he walked out of the room with the doctor.

"I’m going to live Sandor. I am not going to die!" Sansa said in a blissfully happy voice.

"You were never going to die Sansa. It was just a broken arm." Sandor chuckled again. "You are saying the funniest things right now Sansa. It must be the meds that they gave you. How are you feeling?"

"I feel sleepy. Will you carry me to the car when we leave?" She gave him pleading puppy dog eyes.

"You will have to go in the wheelchair out of the hospital hon. Hospital policy. But if I had a choice I would want my strapping boyfriend to carry me out as well." The nurse whispered to Sansa in a conspiratorial way, but not quite enough for Sandor not to hear.

"He is strapping isn't he?" Sansa looked over at Sandor. "He is very good looking. I wish that he was my boyfriend. But the boy I am dating is the one who broke my arm. He did it on accident. But Sandor here saved me." She told the nurse and Sandor’s face heated into a blush.

The nurse excused herself from the room after Sansa’s little speech saying that she had to give the doctor some new information.

"I think I need to close my eyes. But don't let go of my hand. If you let go of my hand I will float away. I don’t want to float away, I want to stay right here with you." She trailed off and fell asleep. She made soft little snoring sounds.

Sandor was watching her sleep when Ned walked back in with the nurse and the wheelchair.

"Okay it is time to…" Ned trailed off as he saw his sleeping daughter. "The nurse is going to take the IV out and we can go. Two hours here is enough time." Ned had dropped his voice so not to disturb his sleeping daughter. He walked over to Sandor and gave him a quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter. You seem to be giving her some comfort."

"It is not a problem sir. Sansa is my friend. I will always be there for my friends when they need something." He said still holding Sansa’s hand.

“You’re a good man Sandor.” Ned left the room.

Sansa stirred and smiled in her sleep. The nurse took the IV out and looked at him, as if considering something.

“Hon, I’m going to break the rules for you and this sweet little girl here. I see cases like this all the time. Girls coming in here with bruises and broken bones from boyfriends. They are too stupid to walk away. This girl she seems willing to leave, but she just needs someone to lead her to safety.” The nurse sounded sad and tired. She looked like she had seen too much. “I’m going to let you carry her out.”

Sander was shocked. After her job was done the nurse left. Sandor watched the door for a few moments then leaned down and kissed her lips. He whispered in her ear a promise.

“I will never let anything happen to you Sansa.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think? Was the arm intentional or accident? I still have no idea. Send me a review!


	19. Hard Talks

Eddard

"I want to go home Ned. I want to take the kids and go back North before anything worse happens. This place is no good for our family." Catelyn said as she paced back and forward at the foot of the bed.

"You are exaggerating dear. This place is not so bad." Ned said from the bed, his laptop on the top of the blanket. He was writing an email to Robert about Sansa’s injury and what he talked to the doctor about. It wasn’t going to be a long email, but the words would have to be chosen with care. He was about to tell his friend that his son was abusive to others. A part of Ned figured Robert mew, but as soon as the email was sent to him, and his wife, it would be documented. That’s what the doctor had said was needed if things went to court.

"Really Ned." She threw her hands up in exasperation. Cat had no idea what he was doing. He hadn’t told her of his suspicions once she finished fussing over Sansa. His wife had been too angry at their middle son. "Rickon was found under the bleachers writing a vulgar poem, Bran was smoking pot in the back yard, Sansa’s boyfriend broke her arm, and Arya she is going off the deep end."

"Out of all our children Arya is the least of our worries. She is doing better here than any of them, she found herself. I am proud of her and the choices she made. As for the others I will admit that you are correct about them. They are acting different. But dear we caught our older ones doing the same thing the boys are doing here. The one I truly am worried for is Sansa." Ned said closing the laptop.

"I worry for Sansa as well, but she is not the one who keeps me up at night. No I am more worried about Arya. She is taking auto classes, making strange paintings and dating a strange boy. That is worrying me most. She has changed so much, I feel like I don’t even know my own child." She looked at her husband and the look she gave him was a dare to contradict her.

Ned was getting frustrated with his wife. She was always closing her mind off to Arya and who she truly was. He loved his wife, truly and deeply, but sometimes she was just so blind. Ned was going to tell her once and for all to leave Arya alone once.

"There is nothing wrong with her grades, she is doing well in extracurricular activities, and that boy as you call him, is a good boy. Gendry also makes good grades, doesn't drink, do drugs and makes her happy. She has blossomed here Cat. You will stop trying to stifle her. Arya might not be doing it the way you want her to but she is coming into her own and will be an amazing woman someday. The one with that I worry most about is Sansa and you should to. Joffery is bad for her."

He cracked his knuckles. He had wanted to go kill the boy for hurting his baby girl, but her comfort was more important. He took her home and walked into the shut storm his wife had brewing for months.

"He is by all appearance a good boy, why would he hurt her? Is there something that you could do about this by talking to his father? This isn’t the first case of violence he has shown either. Didn't he get in a fight with his sister's boyfriend?" She sat in the edge of the bed and wrung her hands. She wasn’t stupid, but she could be narrow minded sometimes. Arya had always been her focus, but here in the South she was the least of his worries. Sansa was.

"When I talked to Robert about what happened tonight he said that he handled things on his end. And from what our kids say Joffery is a bad seed, evil in fact. Cat I want to order Sansa to order her to give up that bastard." Ned opened his computer back up and started typing. He was now angry and he was going to finish his email to Robert.

"Ned you simply cannot order her to break up with Joffery. Think about what you are sating. Sansa always did what was expected of her, but she wouldn’t do this. She has her pride. It will have to be her way on her time. That is the end of it. We have other matters to discuss. What about Bran? He was caught smoking pot at our house. If I complain about the people Arya is with the ones Bran has become froe ds with are so completely different then the kids he was friends with back home. He is grounded, for three months at least." Caitlyn seethed, rubbed her eyes and looked over at Ned wanting him to find the solution to the problem.

"Seriously? Grounded for three months? That’s extreme. The older boys got clean up duty and two weeks grounding." Ned looked over the top of his computer and lowered his glasses. "If memory serves I remember you being experimental smoker in college too. Every day after class in fact. It was the boys first time. He gets two weeks and all bathroom cleanings and dishes for the month."

"My collage years are not the issue here, it’s not the point. You were there as well. But I guess we can agree to the terms, but if he does it again he is in deep trouble." Catelyn huffed.

"Then that settles that. And Rickon was just being a small boy. He even cried when he was caught. All boys do that kind of things. Now leave me be woman. I have work to do and this talk is over." Ned said going back to his work.

"So you are not going to do anything about our family spiraling out of control?" Catelyn demanded standing up and walking to her side of the bed and arranging her nightstand.

"We have already decided on what we are doing with our family. We are not out of control.” He had thought things settled. Why did she have to push things so? “But I will talk to all the children tomorrow at different times and discus what has been going on with them here. I will admit things have been different here, but I’ll talk with them all. Would that make you happy my love?" Ned sounded extremely tired.

“I can live with that. Thank you my love. If we can’t go home this will have to do.” She walked to her side of the bed and slid down into the blankets.

He gathered all the papers on the bed into a neat pile and turned off his computer. "Now let's go to sleep."

Ned put all the papers and his computer on the nightstand and turned off the lights and slid down into bed and snuggled in next to his darling wife.

"I love you Ned."

"I love you to."

Bran

Bran had really fucked up. Robb had caught him and his friends in the back yard enjoying their New Year. He had finally gotten over the giggles and he and the Reeds had just gotten into a heated recession on polytheists’ verses monotheists. Bran was jumping around animatedly when Robb had walked out to see him. He had been discovered with an offending joint in his hand, one that had just been lit. He was finally getting the hang of the whole inhale thing. He expected Robb to yell, but he took the pot, took a long ass drag then handed it back to Bran.

“Fuck I needed that. The party was a waste of time. Gods these moronic Southerners are so full of themselves. All the women there were trying too hard to get in my pants. One crusty old bitch put her goddamn hand down my pants. If Sansa hadn’t broken her arm and we hadn’t come home early I would have killed someone.” Robb was in a foul mood, but his puff had calmed him some.

They were all starting to get over the shock of Robb catching them smoking. They heard the door open and they froze until Robb said that Theon might be coming out too. Bran had just put the joint to his lips and started to breathe it in when he felt hell freeze over at the sound of his mother’s voice.

"Bran Stark what in the name of the Seven are you doing!" She had shrieked.

"Nothing mother. It is not, well it’s medical. Jojen has a medical card. He thought it would help my headache. Honestly mom. It wasn’t just for fun." Bran looked up at his seething mother with blurry eyes.

"Alright. It is legal for him to smoke, but you don't. Now I want Jojen and Meera to go home. Is one of you okay to drive?" She demanded. She was deadly calm and that scared him. Robb looked just as frightened.

"I am ma'am. I don’t smoke or drink." Meera was timid at the anger that was rolling off his mother in waves.

"Then I suggest that you leave." She snapped. "Bran I want you to march right up to your room and go to bed. I will let your father deal with you when he gets home from the hospital with Sansa."

So Bran had marched up to his room and curled up on his bed. He fell asleep in no time and had vivid dreams. He had a dream that there was a coffee cheese cake the size of the dining room table was waiting for him out on the lawn. He was so hungry. He woke up and it was still dark so he fell back to sleep. Then he dreamed he was being chased through the halls of the house trying to find a door that was unlocked. He finally found a door that would open and he ran inside and hid. There waiting for him was a giant bag of Cheetos all for him. He had just opened the bag and started stuffing his face when the door was pulled opened and a zombie snatched the Cheetos away and locked him in the room. He just sat by the door and cried because his snack had been taken by a monster.

"Bran, Bran wake up! Mom says to wake you up or you don't get any waffles! I get to eat them all if you don't get down to the kitchen!" Rickson’s voice penetrated the sleep fog that swirled around his groggy mind.

"Shut up Rickon. I’m not feeling good. I’ll be down once I go to the bathroom." Bran mumbled with his head under his pillow.

"Well mom says to hurry. Oh and Robb said that he talked to dad. I heard them talking. What did Robb tell dad? Robb said that someone was in deep shit, then mom smacked him and I want to know who is in the shit. You know everything, so who is in the shit? Is it Sansa? She has a sling on and a red cast on her left arm. Is she in the shit?" Rickon kept talking until Bran got out of bed.

He highly suspected that Theon told him to keep talking until Bran was out of bed. Since he had no choice he threw off the blankets and swung his legs out of bed and stood up. The room swam and his vision was blurry. He lurched over to his desk and grabbed his new glasses. They helped slightly when he slid them on. Instead of blobs of color things were more defined blobs of color.

Rickon continued to talk about Sansa and her cast and that she had let him sign it with a permanent marker. He finally got the silence that he wanted when he reached the bathroom and locked Rickon outside. He could still hear him out in the hall chattering away. He stumbled over to the sink and ran some water and splashed it on his face.

When he looked up at the mirror he thought that he was looking at a ghost. His skin was pale to the point of being translucent. There were huge purple rings under his eyes. He grabbed the hand soap, not caring that it was bad for his face and tried to wash some color into it. Then he got his teeth brushed and decided that it was as good as he was going to be without a shower.

Rickon was standing by the door waiting to ambush him as soon as he got out of the bathroom.

"And Arya has been smiling and humming all moaning and she has a funny bruise on her shoulder where her neck starts. Jon laughed when mom saw it and she went even redder then Sansa’s cast. She is going to see some guy named Jaqen today with Jon. They were getting ready to go after lunch. And …"

"Rickon shut up." Bran finally snapped.

"But I am just telling you what’s going on." Rickon said pouting as they continued down to the kitchen.

"Bran there are some waffles left for you if you are hungry." Mrs. Clark said as Bran barged into the kitchen.

He made a straight line to the counter where there was one place left to sit. He fell into the waiting chair and started in on the waffles that Mrs. Clark set before him. He was on his second glass of orange juice when he noticed that everyone in the kitchen was looking at him.

"Whhaa iisss ett?" He asked his mouth full of food.

"You stink." Rickon said from the table.

"Rickon." Catelyn’s voice cracked through the room. "Bran I want you to shower. After you and your father have a little chat." She looked at her husband as she said the last part.

Bran swallowed the mouth full of food and put down his fork. He was no longer hungry. He knew that he was the one that was in the shit that Rickon had mentioned when he was awoken that morning. He stole a look at his father and he was reading the paper, like every morning. But his mother was looking at him with sadness in her eye. He felt immensely guilty for what had happened the night before. He was never going to do it again, even if it made his headache go away.

He sat in the kitchen waiting for his father to be finished. He finally saw his dad put down the paper drink the remainder of his coffee and take his cup to the sink and rinse it out. Ned looked over at him and indicated that he wanted him to come along with him to his office.

Bran followed his father from the kitchen to the office. It was a different room then the study. It was off the kitchen and very small and cramped compared to the study. It was the room his mother and Mrs. Clark did the running of the house. This room was far enough away from everyone that if his father needed to get work done he hid there. Ned sat behind the desk and Bran sat opposite him. He felt like he was in the principal's office at school, but this was one hundred times worse.

"Bran would you like to tell me why you are here today?" His father always had a way of making him uneasy with just the simplest questions.

"I was caught smoking weed with my friend Jojen last night. But father it was to get rid of my headache." He said trying to defend his action.

"Tell me about these headaches Bran." Ned leaned his elbows on the desk and rested his chin on his hands.

"They are constant; they start out small then get bigger. They are right behind my eyes. These glasses don't really help with making them go away, but they do help me see better. They move from behind my eyes to all over my head. Nothing that I had tried had worked and so Jojen had offered to let me use some of his medical weed. He gets headaches too. So I figured why not. And it worked dad. The headache stopped last night." Bran finished and looked at his stocking feet.

"Why didn't you tall your mother or I about the headaches sooner? We would have gotten you to a doctor and had a professional help you, not a fourteen year old kid. I don't even think that they give the medical cards to minors." Ned told Bran, making him feel even guiltier then he already did.

"I don't know why I didn't tell you. I guess it is because you have been so stressed since we moved here I didn't want to be a bother." He knew that was a lame excuse, but he didn't want to tell the truth about having  _visions_ that came true.

"Bran nothing that you have to tell me would be a bother. I will have your mother make you a doctor's appointment. And Bran I want to stress that what you did last night was not acceptable. You will be grounded for the next two weeks and on cleaning duty on dished and bathrooms for a month." Ned smiled as his face fell with the news of cleaning.

"Yes father. Can I go shower now?" Bran asked.

"Please do." Ned wrinkled his nose at him.

Bran shuffled out of the office and up to take a shower. He did smell nasty and maybe a shower would make him not feel like less of a bad person for breaking his families trust in him.

Sansa

She woke up at seven despite having stayed up so late and having pain medication in her system. She just laid in bed thinking about what happened the night before. She had a broken arm, and all because her boyfriend had a tizzy fit and push her. She had to end things. With her broken arm people would understand, wouldn't they? They had to. And she had finally realized last night that she liked Sandor. She was not good enough at pretending to stay with Joffery knowing that she liked someone else.

She tried to snuggle down in her bed willing herself to go back to sleep, but it was a week day and her body was used to getting up early no matter what. While lying there with her eyes shut thinking of the best way to get rid of Joffery her mother peeked in and checked on her.

"I am awake mother. You don't need to be so sneaky. It wouldn't work with me. I always know when you check on me." Sansa said to her mother with her eyes still closed.

"How are you feeling dear? Are you in pain?" Catelyn walked into the room and sat on the edge of Sansa’s bed.

"A little. But I will be okay." She sat up in bed and looked over at her mother.

"It will hurt worse at the day goes on. So I want you to take this." She held out her hand with a small pill in it.

Sansa picked it up and put it in her mouth. Her mother handed her a cup of water and she took the pill. She hated taking medication, but she knew her mom was right.

"Whenever you are ready to come down stairs there will be breakfast ready. Mrs. Clark is making waffles." Catelyn took the water and patted Sansa on the head before walking out of the room and shutting the door.

She sat there waiting the medicine to take effect. Her arm was hurting more then she had told her mother and she was grateful to her for bringing her the pain pill. After about fifteen minutes of sitting there waiting for pill to work she got out of bed and went to her vanity to brush her hair and see what the damage was.

She looked at the face reflecting in the mirror and could not help but be frightened of who was looking back at her. She had not washed off the makeup from last night so there was eye shadow and mascara smudged around her eyes and her lipstick had smeared around her mouth. She figured that her lips would look like that if she had spent the night making out with someone. She wished that she had. It would have been a much more fun way to spend the start to the New Year, not in some stupid hospital ER.

She pulled on her bathrobe and slid her feet into her slippers and walked to the bathroom. Once inside she washed her face, brushed her teeth and her hair all one handed. That was not very easy. She did not want to have to do everything one handed until her arm was healed. This was going to suck. She was going to need to ask how she is supposed to shower. She sort of remembered that she was not supposed to get the stupid cast wet.

Sansa didn't feel like getting dressed yet so she went down stairs to the kitchen to have breakfast in her jammies and slippers. She knew that the pill her mother had given her would make her sick if she didn't eat something and fast.

"Oh Sansa you poor thing. Just look at that arm. You just sit down and I will get you some waffles and tea." Mrs. Clark bustled about getting the things for her favorite Stark ready. "When I heard about you're your poor arm I knew that I had to make you your favorite breakfast."

"You are the best Mrs. Clark. To amazing for words." Sansa’s blushed and sat waiting for her tea. "What do I do when I need to take a shower?"

"Wrap it with plastic wrap." Jon said as he walked into the kitchen all groomed and ready for the day. He was an early bird as well. "Just be glad that it was not your leg. You would have to put a garbage bag over your leg and hang it out the side of the shower. It is a pain in the ass."

"Well thank goodness that Joffery didn't shove my lower half over the flower pot." Sansa tried to joke.

Jon was not amused as he sat beside her at the bar. She saw the vein pulsating in his neck. He was not a fan of her boyfriend, none of her brothers were. But they all liked Arya’s. It was not fair that they liked that guy of hers, either of them for that matter and hated hers. She knew that they were not far off the mark on that point, but she didn't like to admit it.

"Jon is this whole broken arm thing going to make Arya not want to continue to talk to me because Joffery was the one that shoved me?" Out of everyone in the family Jon would be the best person to tell her the truth. Bran would be next but he was in deep shit and she didn't want to join him there.

"Probably. If you dump that guy you are seeing I think that she would start talking to you again." Jon took a sip of his coffee flirting with Mrs. Clark. "You make the best coffee in the world Mrs. Clark. I have really missed your cooking. Are you sure that you do not want to elope with me?"

"Jon that is no way to talk to a woman. I am old enough to be your grandmother." Mrs. Clark blushed and gave him his waffles.

The two Starks in the kitchen were eating in happy quiet when their parents and Robb, Arya, Theon and Rickon filed into the room. They were all chatting and talking and the noise level rose to a happy family level. Her brothers all made sure she was okay and her littlest wanted to sign the cast. Her mother handed him a marker telling him that it was permanent and that she had to be careful not to mark anything but the cast.

Her parents and Robb were chatting in hushed voices when Rickon points at Arya and yells out "What is that bruise on your neck Arya?"

All conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at Arya.

"It’s nothing Rickon." Her sister blushed and would not look at anyone.

"Is that a hickey Arya?" Her mother demanded.

"No mom. It’s not. I think it might have happened last night at the gig. Things were pretty rough there. Jon was there. There would have been no time for that to happen. Go on, ask Jon if he left us alone long enough for a hickey to happen." Arya’s voice was high pitched and on the defensive.

Their father folded down the corner of his paper and looked at Jon. Jon shrugged.

"I did not let her out of my sight, even when she and Gendry thought that they were alone." Jon said, but Sansa didn’t believe him. He would help Arya get away with murder and not tell a soul.

"So Sansa Joffery broke your arm?" Arya asked, trying to deflect the heat from herself.

"It was an accident. He did not mean to do that to me. I do not need to be defending his actions." Sansa said, holding her chin up defiantly.

"Rickon go get Bran." Catelyn said trying to defuse the tension.

"Yes mommy. I can do that." Rickon chirped.

"And Rickon make sure he comes down fast and doesn't lie in bed. Talk his ear off." Theon said.

"If there is anyone that can do that it would be Rickon." Ned laughed as he went back to reading the paper.

The kitchen stayed silent waiting for Bran to come in. When he came in the kitchen a nasty smell entered with him. It was a strained time while Bran ate. Sansa let her mind think out a plan on how to break up with Joffery. But there was a small nagging part of her mind that reminded her that he had been different the last few days. He had been nice and sweet to her after she had given him that gift. Acting like a real boyfriend. Maybe she was jumping the gun. He could be changing and if she broke things off with him she would never know. She had to talk with someone, someone who would give her advice. She would talk to her father. He was the one that would know what to do.

"When father is done with Bran I would like to see him. Is he going to be busy all day mother?" Sansa asked as she walked her dishes to the sink. Her father and Bran had just left the room.

"It shouldn't take him too long to talk with Bran dear. So you should be able to get some time with him after that. How is your arm dear?" Her mother asked yet again.

"It is feeling better mother. Thank you." She sat back down and chatted with Mrs. Clark about what they were going to have for dinner and the upcoming trip to the store. She waited twenty minutes and then went to find her father. She was sure that he was done giving her brother a hard time.

"Father Can I ask you a question?" She asked poking her head around the door.

"I wanted to talk to you Sansa. Thank you for coming to see me before I had to go find you. Come on in and make yourself comfortable." Ned said.

"I wanted to talk to you about how to break up with a guy. I figured that since you are a guy you would know the best way to do that." She felt slightly silly for asking him this.

"If I was the one doing the breaking up I would tell the truth. It isn't always the easiest thing to do, but it is the best. Why do you want to break things off with Joffery?" Ned asked trying to hide his glee and curiosity.

"I just do not think that he is the guy that I want to be dating. I mean we don't have anything in common." She said, lying again.

"Is that the only reason? Because I think that things might be more complicated than that for you. You did say some things while on the pain meds last night. You were very clingy to Sandor. I like that guy. I would be happy if you decided to date him." Ned watched as her daughters cheeps turned pink.

"I do not think that I will be dating anyone after I break up with Joffery. I just have to be honest? That's all I have to do?" She asked.

"As far as I am concerned." Ned looked her in the eyes and then continued. "But you have to be careful. Joffery has a temper. I do not want the other arm to be broken. Just be safe dear."

"I will daddy. When should I do this? Should I do it fast or wait till he does something that really causes us to have a reason? Because he really has been making an effort to be a good boyfriend this last week. If things keep going that way then I don't want to break up with him." Sansa confessed.

"You will need to decide that on your own. It is not something that I can tell you." He said.

“Okay, thanks daddy. For everything.” She smiled at him and he went back to work.

She walked out of the room and went to her bedroom. She sat down and checked her phone and saw that there were calls from Margaery, most of the girls on her squad and Sandor. There was no call from Joffery. She was sitting on the bed thinking about the best day to break up with him when the phone rang. It was Joffery.

"Sansa it's me. I am so sorry that I broke your arm. I didn't mean to hurt you. I had champagne in my eyes and it was burning and stinging and I didn't realize that I had pushed you that hard. I really didn't. I want you to know that I did not mean to hurt you at all. I want to make it up to you. Do you want to go to dinner with me? We can go to the restaurant that Loras owns, High Gardens? It is on the coast and the view is beautiful. I want to take you there. Not only as an apology but as a romantic date. What do you say? Will you come with me? I could hurt myself for causing you more pain. That wasn’t me last night. Say yes Sansa, say yes." He sounded so eager and anxious to hear her answer she felt something akin to like creeping over her.

"I think I can do that. I will ask my parents, but I don't think there will be a problem with that." She said.

"Great. I will come pick you up at eight." He said, without any of the smugness or gloating that she had become accustomed to in his voice.

"Alright. See you then." She hung up the phone and leaned back on her bed. "What am I going to do now?" She asked out loud to no one at all.

Arya

She felt so embarrassed that her family had seen the hickey on her neck. She had thought that the shirt was going to cover it up. She had been wrong and now she felt like an idiot. She had done such a good job hiding it from them before, it was now just a small shape, but Gendry probably made it darker last night. She was going to kill Gendry and then bring him back to life and kill him again.

As soon as she got to her room she called him and started to yell at him.

"You stupid dumbass. You redid the hickey on my neck!" She shrieked into the phone.

"Do you know what time it is?" He sounded like he was still sleeping.

"It is nine in the morning. And you should get your ass out of bed and so something with yourself." She snapped. "I am going to kill you and dance on your dead body! My little brother pointed it out at breakfast and I was caught with a hickey!"

"Calm down. I will not leave another one on you where anyone will be able to see it." She could hear the smile on his lips as he said that last remark.

"No visible marks. Rule one. Rule two; I am not a play thing. I am an independent person and I have a brain. So let me do things my way. Rule three; you do not let the groupies that I know you have flocking around you touch you in any way. If so I will personally strangle you and whoever it is that is playing grab ass with you. Rule four…" Arya was just hitting her stride when there was a knock on her door. "There is someone at my door I’ll call you back."

"I will make my own rules in the time that it takes you to get back to me." He yawned into the phone.

"Fine." She hung up the phone and went and opened the door to her room. Her mother was waiting on the other side of the door.

"Arya I think it is time that we have a talk." Catelyn came into to room and sat down at the desk chair. "Please sit down. This is a conversation that might make you uncomfortable, but it is necessary now that you are in a relationship."

Arya sat on the bed horrified because she knew want was coming up. Her mother was going to give her the sex talk. Oh god this was going to be uncomfortable.

"You are now at a point in your life where you are starting to feel things. Feelings for the opposite sex," Arya opened her mouth to interrupt her mother but Catelyn held up her hand. "Do not interrupt me Arya. This is not easy for me either. I know that you know the basics due to the health and biology classes that you have taken, for which I am thankful of. But there are things that you do not know."

"Mom I know about safe sex. I know we are supposed to only learn about abstinence, but Winterfell taught us about birth control and condoms and everything in between." Arya said.

"I was not going to tell you about how to prevent pregnancy. I knew that you knew that already. We had to sign a release for you to take that class remember?" Catelyn snapped.

"Oh yeah. I forgot that." Arya continued to fidget.

"This was so much easier with your sister." Catelyn sighed and rubber her eyes. "What I want to tell you is that when you do have sex, and I am not going to kid myself like your father and believe that you and Gendry are not going to try it, I want you to know that sex is not just about the boy. It is not all about his satisfaction. My mother did not tell me this and I wish that she had. What I am trying to impart on you is that you need to make sure that you get sexual satisfaction as well."

"Are you trying to say to make sure that I get an orgasm, not just the guy?" Arya was shocked. Her mother was telling her that she was okay with her having sex and that she should make sure that she had pleasure as well.

"Yes this is what I am saying." Catelyn said. "My mother did not tell me this and the first few times I had sex it was just about the guy, not about me. Then I had a friend tell me that sex could be fun. I made a decision that if I had girls I would not let them have to learn what I did the hard way."

"So you want me to go out there and have sex with my boyfriend and not only that, but you are telling me that it is a good time and that I should strive to have orgasms? Don't get me wrong mom, but this is not what I was expecting." Arya said to her mother.

"I know that. Here is where the stereo typical mother talk comes in. I would prefer that you wait to have sex until you are older, but if you do I will not be angry.” She looked at the shocked look on Arya’s face and smiled. “You have brothers for that. But I do wish that you would be safe and not do anything stupid. Use a condom and I will get you a prescription for the pill, the pill will stop pregnancy and a condom will stop you from getting an STD."

"Okay mom. I will do that. Is this talk over now? And if it is do I have to hug you, like I know Sansa would have hugged you." Arya looked her mother in the eye and she looked back at her.

"No we do not have to hug. I will leave you alone to think about things. And if you want to call Myrcella and talk things over her I would not mind. I feel like she is going to become a foster daughter." Catelyn smiled and she started for the door. She turned back right before leaving and said something worse. “Arya I like Gendry. He is good looking. I remember what I felt the first time with your father. I hope you two have as good a time together, like your father and I still do.”  She left her daughter to herself.

Arya sat there for a moment not sure what to do. She was shocked AMD disgusted to hear her parents still had sex. You’d think after seven kids they would just stop. But on another level she was pleased. Her mother had given Arya her blessing to have sex. Never in a million years would she have expected that! She was sure what her mom said was true. Her dad would probably deny the fact that she would, at some point, have sex with Gendry. But her mother said it was cool, as long as she got to feel good too. That was just shocking. After she felt the shock wear off she picked up her phone and texted Myrcella.

_My mom just told me that she was more or less okay with me having sex and that when I do to make sure Gendry gives me an orgasm. Then she tells me to share this info with you, not the part about Gendry giving you an orgasm, just about getting one when you have sex. Is that weird or is it just me? –Arya_

_Oh my GODS! Your mom is so cool. Did she offer any tips? I mean sex is great, but sometimes I felt like Aegon and I were just making it up as we went along. –Myrcella_

_She didn’t offer tips and I didn’t ask. It was weird enough. I guess you will just have to figure it out on your own. –Arya_

_Oh more fun! When I find something that works I’m giving you the info. I still can’t believe your mom told you that! If my mom knew I’m having sex I’d be put under house arrest and Aegon murdered. Again your mom is the coolest ever! –Myrcella_

_I guess so. I have to go call Gendry. I’m not going to tell him about this talk. But I need to continue yelling at him about a hickey he made and my brother pointed out at breakfast this morning. –Arya_

_Okay. I’m going to call Aegon. We have research to do! I’m doing it all in the name of science! –Myrcella_

_Arya smiled at her best friend’s last comment and decided now was a good time to call her boyfriend back._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just for the record I had that same "talk" that Catelyn gave Arya with my mom when I was 16. I think all mothers should tell daughters that before they have sex for the first time. I not only added it here for spreading the word, but also because it is as funny as hell.   
> I hope you all like this chapter. Remember to review!


	20. Dates

Arya

She was still feeling strange from the talk that she had just had with her mother. She had talked about all the rules with Gendry. It had been an amazing talk. His biggest request was for her to wear her coveralls for shop class all the time with the zipper to her belly button. Like that would happen. She had always thought having a boyfriend would make the relationship different, but with Gendry they were still friends, so it wasn’t that big of a deal like she thought.

She did not want to go have to break the news to Jaqen that she had chosen Gendry over him. She did not want to think about destroying her pleasure at using one of the most attractive men that she had ever met in person as a muse. She took her time getting ready. She wanted to look food, but not to good. She chose her outfit with care. Green skinny jeans, black ankle boots, white tee and a black leather jacket. Her hair was pulled back leaving her face clear. She decided to not put on much makeup, just some powder, mascara and Bert's Bees Chap Stick.

She went to the room next to hers and knocked on the door.

"Jon are you still able to come with me to get coffee with Jaqen?" She asked opening into the room.

"Yeah. I can get some reading done. I won't have to sit with you will I?" He knew that she would not care one way or another.

"No that's fine. Let's just go. I want to get this over with as soon as possible." She headed out of the room and down the hall. Jon had to scramble after her to keep up with her.

They got to the front door and they took their fathers car to the coffee shop. There were things that neither Stark could get used to in the South, traffic was one of them. If they would have been back home thing would have taken them fifteen minutes to get to where they were going. Being in LA it took the forty five minutes. They were both angry and agitated when they got to the place that Jaqen had asked to meet her. It then took the ten minutes to find parking. They decided to just park in a parking complex and it cost them thirteen bucks.

Arya was fuming by the time they got into the coffee shop. She spotted Jaqen in a corner booth in the back and waved. Jon hung back but whispered in her ear as he left her.

"I will be at the counter over there talking to the hot coffee girl. If you need me just flip your pony tail." Jon looked at his sister’s face and was relieved to see that she had that look of determination in her eye that she used to get when Robb or Theon would tell her that she could not do something that they could.

"Always the protective brother." She laughed giving him a small shove.

"I did tell Gendry that I would watch out for you. And when I give my word I keep it." Jon could be too honorable for his own good sometimes and they both knew it.

She walked over to the counter and ordered a cup of hot water to make tea. She went and grabbed the first tea bag she saw and a hand full of sugar packets and went to get the conversation with Jaqen over with. She walked over to his table and set down her things on the opposite side of the table from him.

"Hello there lovely girl. You look good, as always." He stood when she was near and only took his seat when she did as well.

"Thank you. You look good yourself." She sat and stirred the sugar into the tea. She finally saw that it was a peach ginger tea and it smelled amazing. She let it cool and knew that she was stalling, so did Jaqen.

"Why did you ask me here Arya? And why does Jon keep looking our way?" Jaqen asked in a small voice.

"I have something to tell you. Something that you might not like." She was looking at her cup still stirring it around.

"You have finally made your choice and it is not me. That is what you have come here to tell me." He said looking at her. She looked up at him and his gaze locked on her eyes and held them.

"How did you know?" Arya whispered.

"I knew the moment you walked in. You looked slightly guilty and nervous. I knew that you had to have made a choice soon. I had hoped that it was going to be me." Jaqen’s voice was small as he spoke.

"You are going to be leaving soon Jaqen. Three months is not long enough for me. I want a relationship, not a fling." She wrapped her hands around her cup warming her suddenly cold hands.

"Oh lovely girl, time is not an issue when the heart is pure and the intentions are passionate." He reached his hands across the table and used his finger to stroke her hand around the cup.

For some reason that she did not understand she kept her hand where they were and did not pull away from him. The conversation with her mom flashed in her mind and she could see those fingers stroking more then her hand and she could not stop the blush that colored across her face.

"I picked Gendry because he is going to be here with me. You are leaving Jaqen. I had to pick him." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as him.

She did not know why she was saying these things. She liked Gendry. He was sweet, funny, handsome, smart, a great kisser. He was the total package. Hell he even worked on cars and smelled good. He made her feel desired and safe and wanted. That was more then she could ask for.

But looking at Jaqen across the table she could see clearly what she was giving up. She was letting go of tenderness and romance and beauty and art. He could have shown her a different way to see the world, to experience it, feel it, and live it. He was more then different, he was an enigma, but because she had made her choice he was one puzzle she would never be able to discover the answer to.

"You look so lost lovely girl. What is the matter?" His velvety voice shattered her thoughts

"I was just thinking of all the things that I was passing up. It’s nothing." She took a sip of her now cold tea. It was still good, but too cold for her. She inked her tea piping hot. R

"You have not passed up anything. I am here and your moment has not passed you by yet. I will wait for you, as long as you want me still." His eyes bore into hers. He ears trying to tell her something with his eyes, but she just couldn’t read it. She felt breathless and dizzy.

"I have made my choice Jaqen. I do not want you." She pleaded with her eyes to get him to understand.

"If you did not want me why is your heart racing?" Jaqen demanded.

"It isn't," she lied.

"It is. We both know it. But I will let you think that you do not want me. I will let you think that when you are with The Bull that you will be happy and not wonder what would have been. It is your choice. But I will be here. I will wait until there is no hope. But there is always hope, for those who wait for it. I will not give up. I am a man willing to do whatever it takes to get his prize. I will have it in the end." He stood up from the table and laid his hand on her face. "Farewell lovely girl. I will see you soon."

Arya watched him walk out of the coffee shop. She felt lost and close to tears. Jon came and slid next to her and slung his arm around her shoulder.

"How did it go Little Wolf?" He asked looking at her.

"Worse than I expected. I want to go die now." She leaned her head on his shoulder and let some evil tears escape from her eyes. "Why does being a girl have to suck so much?"

"I don't know. I can't tell you. Being a guy is so much easier." Jon joked. He made her smile so he was not too worried about her. "Let's go home. I bet it will take us an hour. We can look at the pompous jackasses on the street as we drive home and make fun of them. What do you say?"

"Sure Jon. Let's do that. Thanks for being my brother. I love you." She hugged him and they slid out the booth and walked out of the shop.

Gendry

He was not in the best of moods when Hot Pie called and said that they had to meet for an "emergency" band meeting. He had wanted to go over and see Arya. He was worried about how the meeting with Jaqen had gone. The guy was dangerous. The only thing that had kept him from going was the fact that Jon would be there with her.

He also had a few things he wanted to add to the list of rules they had made. He loved that she had rules. The last girl he had tried to date had been to free with her love. He knew that Arya was a one guy kind of girl. He was pleased she was not loose.

He got dressed and drove over to Aegon’s big ass house that they were meeting at. The guys were all there and waiting on him.

"About god damn time Gendry. When you are told that there is an emergency with the band and to get your ass over here, you get your ass over here. Is that understood?" Beric yelled when Gendry walked into the room.

"Jesus Beric, keep your shirt on. I am here aren't I?" Gendry shot back.

"Are you? You and Aegon have both been in lala land for way to long. This is not a fucking joke or a game. We are finally making a name for ourselves and you two are too interested in chasing some skirts to give a shit about it." Beric was ramping up for a real yelling fit.

"Beric you are taking this too seriously. We decided to go this for the hell of it, not for money or fame. For the fun of it and the love of music. Remember." Thoros pointed out in a soothing voice.

"Oh shut up Thoros. Stay out of this. These two dumbasses are messing things up." Beric snapped.

"I think that the only one messing things up here is you buddy. Take a chill pill." Hot Pie piped up from behind his drums.

"How can you be so relaxed about this? We have been getting offers to play every weekend and have had to turn them down so that Aegon can have date nights with Myrcella. Or we have missed rehearsals so that Gendry can help Arya on that stupid car. I mean come on guys are you really telling me that that doesn't bother you." Beric looked at Thoros and Hot Pie to see if they agreed with him.

Gendry and Aegon just stood there not knowing what to say. They never in a million years would have guessed that Beric would react to them dating like this. Yes it was true that they had been a little preoccupied, but like Thoros had said they had started out to just have fun and make music.

"What is it that you want Beric?" Gendry asked.

"I just want you, all of you, to start taking this seriously. If we keep going the way we are things could start to take off for us and I don't want to all to be fucked up because of two girls. We are better than that." Beric looked each of his band mates in the eye and tried to look imposing.

"Okay, we can do that. We can start to take things more seriously. But you have to relax a little. No one is going to want to be in a band with a psycho singer." Aegon joked.

Once Beric had calmed down and they had nailed down a schedule that worked for them to rehears during the week they got down to making music. Beric had some new songs for then to learn and they worked on some old ones as well. They joked about Beric stealing the new songs from Arya again and he blushed, leading Gendry to think that he had in fact "borrowed" another one from her. Gendry looked at the lyrics that they had been given and he could not see one that shouted out that Arya had written it. They worked until five and then called it quits. Four out of the five thought that seven hours was more than enough time working on music.

"Remember tomorrow four to six. No matter what. I do not care if your grandmothers are on deaths door and want to see your sorry faces before she kicks the bucket. I want you all here." Beric snapped as he got into his car and drove away.

"Tell me again why we all put up with him?" Gendry asked as they watched Beric's tail lights faded into the night.

"Because he is the real talent of the bunch." Thoros answered.

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten." Gendry said. "Night guys. See you tomorrow." He pulled away and drove home.

He parked his car and walked into his empty house. He hated that his mother worked all the time. She was never there to see him. The only way that they communicated was with stick notes on the fridge. He went to see if she had been home to leave a new one for him, but there wasn't one there. He let himself feel the total body engulfing sadness that he had felt since he was a child and there was no note there for him. But then he shook it off and grabbed a soda from the fridge and walked to his room.

He was finally able to look at his phone and saw the texts from Arya. He opened then and saw that they became increasingly annoyed as they went on. There were twelve in all and one from Jon. His was simple all it said was  _you are in trouble. Brace yourself._

He had been sitting down for five minutes when there was a pounding on his front door. He jumped up thinking that it was the police coming to tell him that his mother has been in an accident, another fear that he had had since he was small. He reached it and pulled it opened.

"Where the hell have you been all day?" Arya stood on the doorstep of his house looking pissed and ready to kill.

"We had an emergency band meeting. It lasted all day. Beric wouldn't let us call or text. He went all crazy on us and pretty much said it was you and Myrcellas fault. Come on in." Gendry stood back and opened the door wide enough for her to squeeze past him.

She walked into his house as if she owned the place she looked around the small living room and the hallway that led off to the kitchen. She saw the pictures of Gendry as a little boy and smiled at him.

"You were a dorky little boy. All ears and arms. Good thing that you grew out of that." She looked at him as if she was a present for her to open.

"I bet that you looked like a dork as a kid too." He smiled at her as they stood there in in the living room.

"So you weren't ignoring me on your own? You were being held under duress?" She sashayed over to him. She let her jacket slide off her arms and threw it over her shoulder.

"Yeah, Beric is a slave driver when he wants to be." He could not take her eyes off her as she walked towards him.

"You poor baby." She purred as reached him. She slid her arms around his neck. "You need some TLC then." She stood up on her toes and captured his lips like someone would capture the flag.

They stood there in the living room making out for a few minutes. It was starting to get too much for him to bare. He didn't know how long that he could take standing in the living room supporting them both. He grabbed her ass and lifted her up. She slid her legs around his waist and started walking to his room. She started to nuzzle and kiss and lick his neck as he walked. He tried to keep his eyes opened as he walked but they kept fluttering shut every time her tongue slid up from his collar bone up his neck to place her mouth on his ear. He almost ran them into the walls a number of times when she did that sweet delicious trick of hers.

They finally made it to his room and he kicked the door shut. Arya was still clinging to him, legs wrapped around his waist with a vise like grip. She giggled as he staggered to the bed and fell onto it on his back so as not to crush her. She sat up straddling him and looked down at him.

"So this is your room? You could really use a new coat of paint on the walls." She suggested as she looked around.

Gendry made an animal growl and flipped Arya onto her back. She giggled again and tried to wiggle out from under him.

"Don't insult my room. I like the color of my walls." He tried his hardest to look stern and angry but her laughing and the extra-large grin on her face made it difficult for him to do.

He leaned back down and assaulted her mouth for more kissing. He was in rapture at having her there in his room, on his bed. He let his hands slide down her body from her shoulders to cup her breast. He wanted to go under her shirt but did not want to frighten her away. He continued to kiss, lick and suck at her mouth and she bit and nipped and fought with his tongue. His hand continued to massage her breast and small moans escaped her. She looped one of her legs over his hip and crushed him down to her holding her to him.

He was getting more aroused with every passing moment. He wanted to go further, but was unsure that she was alright with it. Her hands flittered across his back and went up under his shirt. She was lifting her shirt higher and higher exposing more skin. He got the hint that she wanted it off. He lifted off her shirt and started to tug at his shirt and pulled it off and threw it to the floor. While she was busy with his shirt she ripped hers off as well. She leaned up and claimed his mouth before he got a good look at her. She was so hot to the touch. He let his hands roam over her body.

She shudder and ran her nails down his back. He hissed with the pain and moved his mouth down her body to the hallow between her breasts. He licked his tongue in the hallows and slid his hand under her bra. She arched her back and gasped.

"No marks. My shirts will show." She panted.

He smiled, knowing that he was going to ignore her rule. He was too turned on to stop marking her as his and lifted her bra out of the way. He found the base of her left breast and left his mark on her there. She gave a small yelp and pulled away from him.

"What was that?" She barked.

"A love mark. I marked you and no one will be seeing it there." He smiled at her and kissed down her flat stomach.

"How do you know?" She lifted her eyebrow.

He dropped back down to assault her breast again this time going for the nipple. Arya sucked in her breath in a delicious moan. She kept her leg locking their hips together and ground herself into him, causing him to groan. Her small nimble hands worked down to his belt and clumsily worked to unbuckle it. Once he realized what she was attempting to do he tried harder to make things more difficult for her just to tease her. Gendry slid his hand that was not cupping the breast that he was licking and flicking her nipple with his tongue creped down her toned stomach to run his fingers around the top of her jeans. He worked at the first button of her pants free and she got agitated and pushed his hand away from her and refocused her attention on him. She unbuckled his pants and slid her hand inside and grabbed his very hard, very erect penis. He shook and shivered and moved his lips to her mouth.

She started stroking him, he was close to exploding and what Arya was doing was not what he had expected her to do. Gendry knew that she was inexperienced and that this was all new to her, but there she was this cheeky little minx giving him a hand job. And he was still wearing his jeans!

She leaned up and nibbled on his ear and her other hand grabbed his and returned to her right breast. He was massaging her with a distracted manner, to focus on what Arya was doing to his stiff cock. Some how she had wiggled his jeans to his knees without him noticing. She ran her nails over his legs and he shuddered. He felt that he was ready to blow but he fought the urge. She arched her back and he captured one of her nipples in her mouth and she whispered his name. That is when he lost it. He felt like there had been an explosion. He felt his desire spill onto their stomachs and Arya’s hand. He was still crouched over her and collapsed on top of her. She snuggled her body to him. Kissed his neck.

"That was fun. I think I enjoyed that." She giggled from underneath him.

He raised his head and looked at her with a glazed look in his eye.

"You enjoyed that?" He was confused.

"Yes. I really did. My mother was so wrong. Sometimes it is enough to give the guy his pleasure without anything in return." She smirked at him but the joke was lost on him.

"I really do not want to be talking about your mother when your hand is on my dick. And who said that we were done?" He raised his brow and she took that as an opportunity to capture her mouth with his.

He loved how they reacted together. He was not going to let her walk away from him without feeling the relief she had given him. He slowly slid her pants away from her body, kissing his way as he removed her jeans from her body.

“I’m ready to return the favor.” He said in a husky tone. She was there on his bed in nothing but her underwear.

“Gendry, I think we should wait to, well to have sex, forma while at least. There are things I need to do first.” Arya looked up at him, nervous for the first time the whole day.

He leaned down and kissed her softly. He didn’t want to go to fast for her. He lay down beside her and gathered her to him.

“We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. I swear we will keep this barrier on you.” He traced the tops of her underwear. “But I would like to kiss you, all over, to say thank you.” He pressed kisses to her lips, eyelids, jaws. She smiled at him.

“Just kissing?” She asked when his mouth found her neck.

“For as long as you want.” He kissed her stomach and she giggled.

They spent the rest of their day just kissing, laughing and talking. Gendry was still amazed that she was now his.

Sansa

She looked at the clock and it was six. She rolled her eyes to the ceiling and groaned. She had tried to take a shower with the cast and it was one of the more difficult things that she had ever done. How her brothers had done this with casts on their legs and arms she had no idea how they managed to do it. Her shoulder was sore from holding it out of the water. She was tired and all she wanted to do was sleep.

She was going to cancel on the date that Joffery had planned. There was no way that she was going to be able to go out and be charming. She reached for her phone, then put it down, then picked it up again. She set it back down and stood up. She picked up the phone again and walked out of her room in search for Robb.

She found him in the media room with Theon and Jon watching college football bowl games. They had chips and beers and were yelling at the TV as the ref had just called a dump penalty on their team.

"Robb." She called out as the guys started yelling at the TV again. He didn't hear her. "Robb!" She shouted. This time he heard her.

"Hey there sis. What's up?" He asked looking at the TV and not at her.

"Can I talk with you out in the hall?" She requested, feeling timid and nervous about what she was going to ask him.

"Sure. This game is sucking anyways." He took a swig from the beer in front of him and walked out of the room with her. "What is going on Sans?"

"I need you to pretend to be dad. Can you tell Joffery that I am to sick from the pain meds and too tired from being in the ER all night to go out with him tonight." She felt bad for fooling Joffery, but this was the best solution to her problem.

"You want me to pretend to be dad? You Saint Sansa want me to deceive your boyfriend? Wow." Robb smiled and just looked at her.

"Everything that you tell him would be more or less the truth. I just don't have the energy to tell him myself today." Sansa shuffled her feet and would not look Robb in the eye.

"You do look like hell. I wouldn't want to sit across from you while eating all night." Robb tried to joke with her but she was not abused. She gave him a look that their mother had been giving to him since he was two and caught in the fridge eating all the strawberry jam in the middle of nap time.

"Will you just make the call for me Robb? I never ask you for anything, not when it comes to relationships. And I have pretended to be mom for you before so you could get out of dates before. You owe me." She snapped. She was not in the mood for her brother to be cute and funny. Her arm hurt, she was tired and she just wanted to curl up on her bed and watch Titanic for the hundredth time and to read Pride and Prejudice.

"Whoa there tiger, I’ll do it. I will. Give me the phone." Sansa handed her brother the phone and he dialed Jofferys number. "Joffery? This is Ned, Sansa’s father. Yes, yes everything is okay. She is just not feeling to well, after last night she is just to tired and having a bad reaction to the medication that they gave her. She doesn’t want to cancel, but as her father I feel that it is my duty to supersede on her behalf. Yes, yes. Okay. Thank you so much. Yes I understand. I will let her know. No, she is sleeping right now. I will tell her. Alright then good bye Joffery." Robb had made his voice deeper as he talked to Joffery. He had hung up the phone and looked at Sansa smiling, proud of his performance.

"That was good Robb. You sounded just like dad. I am impressed." She smiled and took her phone back.

"I have been playing dad for Jon and Theon for years." He smirked at her. "That was a piece of cake."

"Thanks Robb." She hugged him and walked back to her room.

She decided that since she was not going out she could slip into her most comfy sweats and an over large tee. She popped her Titanic DVD into her computer and pressed play then got her battered copy of Pride and Prejudice from her book shelf and snuggled into her blanket for some comfort time.

She had barely gotten five pages into the book and fifteen minutes into the movie when her phone started ringing. It was Joffery and she decided not to answer it, pretending to be asleep like Robb had told him she was.

She was three chapters into the book and Rose had tried to jump off the ship and her text alert sounded.

_Sansa are you okay? I got a call from your father and I got worried about you. Let me know that you are okay. –Joffery_

She decided to not reply and get back to the two epic love stories that she was trying to unsuccessfully escape in. Her mind kept flip flopping as to who was the leading man in her love story. Was it Joffery, her boyfriend, or Sandor her best friend here? If she was honest the answer was simple: Sandor. He was sweet, romantic, smart. He knew what she liked and what she didn't. He had always been there for her since the first moment that they had met at the welcome party at the Baratheon’s house. He had saved her a number of times since as well. If she had to pick a leading guy out of her choices between Jack and Mr. Darcy he would be Jack. But Joffery could not be Mr. Darcy; he was more like Mr. Wickham, but even that wasn’t good enough. He was like Cali, just like him. She needed someone to save her from him.

Her phone buzzed again. She looked at it and it was another text, it was not Joffery this time, it was Sandor.

_Hi there gimp. I just wanted to see how you are feeling. –Sandor_

It was just like him to check up on her. She smiled and decided that she would text him back.

_I am sore and tired. Did I thank you enough? I am really thankful to you for saving me. –Sansa_

_You did. I told you already that it was nothing. I am just glad that you are okay. Joffery said that you were not feeling well and that your dad had to call and cancel on him. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. –Sandor_

_I was just really tired and wanted to watch a movie and read a book in my jammies. It was actually Robb who called Joffery, pretending to be my dad. I feel so guilty. –Sansa_

_You wild one you. I am shocked that you did that. I’m impressed. What are you reading and watching? –Sandor_

_They are both ultra girly and sappy and favorites of mine. Titanic and Pride and Prejudice. –Sansa_

She didn't think it possible but she was blushing redder then her cast and felt embarrassed.

_Wow that is super sappy and girly. You must really be feeling bad. Those sound like they could give a girl some unrealistic stereotypes for a man to live up to. If you were my girlfriend I don't know what I would do. –Sandor_

_If I was your girlfriend I would make you watch this movie with me and have in-depth discussions on Lizzy and Mr. Darcy until I was feeling better. -Sansa_

_Well if that's what you wanted to do why didn't you invite Joffery to do that tonight?-Sandor_

_Because Joffery is no Jack. He is just like Cal. Nice on the outside but dark on the inside. –Sansa_

She hoped that he would not get the reference.

_I don't know who those people are. I have to admit that I have not seen Titanic and haven't read or watched any of the Pride and Prejudice movies. I hope that doesn't put a black mark in your book for me. –Sandor_

They were flirting! She liked flirting with Sandor. He was fun to flirt with. She could do this all night long. She had not seen this side to Sandor before. He was carefree and funny. The only other time that she had seen him this relaxed and funny was when they went star gazing.

_Well then we will have to remedy that someday. I decree that you will watch this movie with me. At least Titanic. It is the best love story of all times. –Sansa_

_But everyone dies at the end. How is that a love story? –Sandor_

_How did you know that everyone dies? –Sansa_

_It's been in the history books for the last hundred years. It was a major accident. You see in real life there was a ship called the Titanic and it hit an ice burgee and people died. I am surprised that you didn't know that. –Sandor_

_You do not have to be such a smart ass. I know that the ship really sunk. When did you become such a smart ass? –Sansa_

_I always have been. I am just really good at hiding it. You should get some rest. Take one of your pain pills and go to bed. –Sandor_

_And bossy too. You are a bossy smart ass. But I will take your advice and get some rest. My arm is throbbing. Talk to you later. And we are watching Titanic one of these days. –Sansa_

_Whatever you say. Now go to sleep. –Sandor_

She put the phone down snuggled into her pillows. She took one of the pills the doctor had given her and let it lull her into sleep. She was going to have sweet dreams tonight she hoped. Dreams of Sandor and dancing and laughter and fun. Or dreams of stars and touches and kisses and more, so much more.

The pills kicked in as she finally got into a position she could sleep. She was still thinking when the first images of her dreams came to her. She was standing at the end of a long aisle, her father bested her. She was in an elegant antic dress of white. All her family was there smiling. Then she looked to the end and there Sandor stood. He was in a tux. Her father opened his mouth to ask a question, but she was now too much into sleep to know what he would say.

Myrcella

Aegon had come by her house to pick her up to go to the movies on their date. Her mother had stalked out of the room when she had heard the motorbike pull up to the door. Myrcella hoped that someday her mother would get over the harsh feelings she harbored for Aegon punching Joffery.

"Father," she called out to him in his den. It was more like a bar with a desk in it. "Father, Aegon is here to take me to the movies. Mother knows that I will be leaving but I wanted you to know as well."

"Huh? Oh yes Myrcella, have a good time." Robert sat in a chair by his fire place looking at a picture.

She quickly walked away from her father and made it to the door before anyone could come and stop her. She bolted out the door and flew to Aegon. She crushed him in a bear hug. She buried her nose into his neck and breathed in the smell of him. She loved the way that he smelled. Like soap and surf and dirt and wind.

"Did you miss me My Cella?" He pulled back and gave her a soft kiss.

"I always miss you when we are not together." She snuggled into him. "How was your day?"

"Horrible. I will tell you about it later, but we are going to be late for the movie if we don't leave now." He reached for their bike helmets and handed the one he bought for Myrcella to her.

"Okay." She mumbled as she stuffed her head into the helmet.

Aegon swung onto the bike and she slid on behind him, pressing her body to his for warmth and the need to feel his body touching hers. They were going to an old movie theater that showed old black and white movies. She had to watch a movie set during WWII made in WWII for her history class then write an essay about how films kept moral up for the people off fighting and those who stayed home. It took her a week to find one that was in theaters so that she and Aegon could go out on a date to watch it together. She finally found one, Casablanca. Neither she nor Aegon had seen it so they were looking forward to it.

They made it just in time. He parked his bike right in front of the theater and ran up to the ticket booth. Aegon practically threw the money at the ticket girl and snatched the tickets out of her hand. Myrcella dragged him in to the concession counter where they got their sodas and popcorn and red vines and scrambled to get in for the start of the movie. They slid into some seats by the door just as the lights dimmed ant the projector flicked to life. A big black and white globe filled the screen and the voice over started.

Aegon and Myrcella hunkered down to watch the movie. Myrcella did enjoy it, she really did. There was something to tragic about their love story, but that must have been the point. Myrcella was openly weeping when Rick put Elsa onto the plane. Aegon had his arm around her and was wiping the tears off her cheek.

"Here's looking at you kid." He whispered to her as he took the last tear off her face and placed a small kiss on his lips when the movie ended. She smiled up at him and they shared another kiss, this time deeper and filled with love and devotion to one another. They stood and went into the lobby of the theater and they watched as older couples walked out behind them.

They strolled out hand in hand into the cold night to get on the bike. She was glad that she had on insulated layers and a warm jacket. Aegon got on and started the bike and she hopped on behind him. Her legs squeezed his sides and she held onto him as if she was an extension of him.

They had agreed on Mexican food for dinner. He took her to hole in the wall place that was family run and all the food was authentic. They sat there and talked about what had happened to Aegon that day.

"So Beric calls us all to meet and yelled at Gendry and me about how we are destroying the dynamic of the group by having girlfriends." Aegon told her as he cut his stake enchiladas.

"So it is mine and Arya’s fault that you guys suck?" Myrcella laughed as she spread salsa over her Chili Rellenos. "He must hate us."

Aegon just sat there and watched as she piled on more hot sauce. She finally realized that he was watching her make her food almost too spicy for safe human consumption. Myrcella liked spicy food and always went over board when it came to hot things. That is why she had asked for a glass of milk with her meal.

"What?" She demanded.

"You must like hot things. No wonder you fell for me." He gave her a cocky grin as he looked at her.

"I like spicy things. You are spicy when you want to be." She murmured as she cut into her meal. He watched as she took a bite and closed her eyes as the delicious heat from the spicy food filled her up.

"So me and food make you moan like that." Aegon laughed as she opened her eyes.

She blushed and looked down to her plate. They ate in silence enjoying the food. When they were half way done with the meal Myrcella filled him in on what had happened to Sansa.

"When Margaery said that it was something that had been spilled on Joffery that caused him to shove Sansa into the stone flower pot I felt so guilty. It was because of me and Arya that she got hurt. Should I tell her? I mean it was Joffery that pushed her, but if it had not been for us then he wouldn't have pushed her." She confessed to Aegon.

"It was not your fault. Your brother is a dip shit. It was just a matter of time before he hurt her." Aegon assured her.

"But I hate that I was the underlining reason to her getting hurt." Myrcella really did feel guilty about the whole thing. But she felt guilty if she got a better grade in a test then Arya in a class. She was just a person who felt guilt about everything.

Aegon reached across the table and took her hand. "It is alright. It was really your brother's fault. How is your dinner?" He asked trying to change the subject.

"It is really good. Where did you find this place? Don't tell me that you used to work here too?" She joked.

"No I never worked here. My childhood nanny's family owns this place. I did spend a lot of time here as a kid." He looked around the place fondly.

"Are you always going to bring me to places that you have an emotional tie to when we go out on all our dates?" She demanded in mock anger.

"If you want to have the best food that my cheap ass can buy you, then yes." He fired back. He scowled at her but she could only smile.

“I love that you bring me to places that mean something to you. I just hope you don’t do this with all the girls.” She grumbled lightly as she took another amazing bite of the fantastic food. The rest of the date went great after that. They laughed and told stories about when they were young.

When they paid for the check and left the restaurant after Argon was hugged by most of the staff.

"If you get hugs on every date that we go on by other women I am going to break up with you." She taunted him and he knew it.

"You would throw me out like I was trash just because I am popular? I am shocked that you would be so shallow like that. You are such a horrible person." He gasped in mock hurt and horror.

"You bet I would. And I wouldn't think twice about it. I will forget the fact that you are amazing in bed. I can be a very jealous girl when I want to be." She smiled wickedly at him. "It is getting late and my mother has enough reason to hate you enough, I don't want her to hate you even more."

They got back on the bike and drove her back to her house. They were saying good bye and having one last kiss when her phone sounded. She ignored it and stood there kissing her boyfriend instead.

"Thank you for coming with me to the movies and for taking me out to dinner. I love going out on dates like this with you." She kissed him again.

"I had a good time. That Ingrid Bergman was hot." He gave her a cocky smile and pulled her to him again for another kiss. His lips were hovering over hers when her phone rang again.

"Oh damn it. That's my mom's ring tone. I bet that she is watching us right now. I have to go." She gave him a fast peck on the lips before skipping into the house. As soon as she was inside the house she was assaulted by a drunk mother.

"I will not have you putting on a show for the staff with your boyfriend in the drive way of my house young lady. Is that understood? You are not a common whore for that trash to use and abuse." Her mother's voice lashed out, demolishing her amazing evening.

Myrcella just stood there in the doorway watching her mother as she downed her gin and tonic.

"And another thing, if you are going to act like a whore I would prefer you to not do it in theaters or Mexican restaurants." Cerise slurred as she turned and walked up the stairs on unsteady feet.

Myrcella just stood there in the doorway in shock. Her mother not only called her a whore, but was having her followed when she went out with Aegon.

"Myrcella, glad to see that you are home Princess. How was your date?" Robert asked when he walked from his den to his office. He must have heard his wife’s voice, but waited until she was gone to come out. But at least he was there, in some way, for her.

"It was a good date daddy." Her voice shook and she started to cry feeling her mother's betrayal cut deep into her heart.

"Princess what is it? Did that boy hurt you?" Robert demanded making his way over to his distressed daughter.

"No it was not Aegon, it was mom. She is horrible." She sobbed as her father embraced her.

"Damn that woman. Look Princess forget about her. You are a much better person then she ever will be. If Aegon makes you happy then don't let your mother or your brother or even god get in the way of that. Fuck them. Now stop that crying. I do not like it when I see my princess crying." Robert wiped her tears and smiled at her.

"Okay, thank you daddy." She smiled up at her father and realized that for the first time in a long time her father was not drunk. "I love you." She hugged him.

"I love you too Princess." He kissed her on the head and made his way to his office.

She was feeling better after her father’s gave her his little pep talk. She took her phone out of her pocket as it chimed again.

_My mom was so right. –Arya_

_About what? Did you and Gendry have sex? –Myrcella_

_No, but before today I never would have dreamed that a hand or a mouth could bring pure bliss. –Arya_

_It is heaven my friend, pure heaven. Hey talk to you later. I have history home work to do. –Myrcella_

_Yeah. Sure. Night! –Arya_

Myrcella walked to her room and flopped down on the bed. She wanted to know why her mom was having her followed, why her mother hated Aegon so much. She sat up and took out her phone and sent a text to Aegon. It was simple and to the point.

_I sure as fuck love you. –Myrcella_

Then she went to work on her paper. She poured her emption into the epic love story of Isla and Rick and what true sacrifice was. She worked on it late into the night, music blaring so loud she thought it would shake the house. It was all songs that Aegon and the band had done. Part of her choice in music was because her boyfriend was in the band and the other reason was because she liked them.

She had been so wrapped up in her work she had not noticed, three hours later, that Aegon had replied.

_I love you too. Until the wheels fall of! - Aegon_

She smiled at the thing at the end. It was their saying. That they would love each other until the wheels fell off. It was their code for forever. She went over and scooped her stuffed dragon up inch her arms and hugged him. She got ready for bed then and snuggled into the covers after she changed and brushed her teeth. She willed herself of dreaming of Aegon that night and she wasn’t disappointed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first off from now on there will be sex in some of the chapters. This one was a less graphic one, but from this point on it becomes a part of the story.   
> That being said I hope you liked the update. Let me know what you think. And I also want to say thanks for those reading this. I have noticed a jump in readership and I say thanks to you!


	21. Fixing The Problems

Jaqen

He had felt a crushed and defeated when Arya had told him of her choice. Then she had sat there across from him and he saw that she was not convinced that she had made the right choice. He still had a chance; there was still a glimmer of hope for him. She was still attracted to him. That was all he needed, the in that he could use to drive a wedge between the two of the love birds.

He drove home and went to his studio. He wanted to destroy everything. But that would be foolish. Now these paintings were all he had of her. He sat in the middle of the room and looked at all the Arya’s he had made. She was smiling, laughing, angry, sad, every emption he had seen flow across her face had ended up on the canvas.

He wanted her. He needed her. He would just have to make her change her mind. He would not make her cheat, but break things off with the bastard Waters. Then he would be there, never to far from her. She would come to him. In the end they would be together.

"Varys I have a favor to ask you." Jaqen had called to ask after he had collected his thoughts.

"Anything for you Jaqen. I am here to serve." His voice had floated over the phone as smooth as oil.

"I need you to call the school and get in to be a guest lecturer in the advanced art class." He had told Varys.

"And why would I grace your pitiful sec pool of a high school with my magnificent presence?" Varys sounded both annoyed and intrigued.

"I have a little issue. Arya has made a decision on who she wants to be with. It seems that she has chosen the Bull. But I am not giving up yet. There is still hope." Jaqen sounded so sure that Arya still had feelings for him.

"Ah, Miss Stark, your muse. I see why you want her in your life. She is something special. What is it that you had in mind?" Varys' voice had a malicious lit to it that implied his eagerness and his willingness to be complicit to Jaqen’s schemes.

Jaqen had outlined his plan to Varys and they plotted the best way to get his plan into action and Arya Stark to Jaqen’s side.

Vacation ended and Jaqen and Varys stood in the art classroom talking to the teacher when the rest of the students slowly filtered into the room. Jaqen was watching the door waiting for Arya to arrive. In true Arya fashion she rocketed into the room right as the bell rang and had to double over to catch her breath. She rolled up from her crouching position vertebra by vertebra and her eyes alighted on Jaqen. He held her gaze for several moments until the teacher called the class to attention.

"Ladies and gentleman I would like to introduce you to Varys, the artist. He has agreed to teach the advanced classes some techniques for you all to learn. I will let you take the floor now Varys and explain your lesson for the next week." The teacher fell back to her desk and she sat down and pulled out some cheese smut novel and tuned out the rest of the class.

"Hello there students. As your teacher has said I am Varys, just Varys. No mister, no other name. I am here today to show you all how to draw still life and people. We will be starting on the human form and it will be in charcoal today. And we have the privilege to have with us an amazing model here to help us out today. Jaqen has volunteered to let you fellow students draw his exquisite likeness for free. Now we will be working on nude drawings so that you all can learn how to draw and show the human body." Varys' eyes twinkled and he was smiling and rocking on the balls of his feet. "Jaqen will not be completely naked, but he has agreed to leave little to the imagination."

Jaqen had watched as Arya swallowed convulsively at what Varys had said. She was fighting the urge to look Jaqen in the eye. He wanted her to look at him and see him. Jaqen was going to make things so difficult for Arya for the next week as he stood there in front of her in next to nothing.

As the class got ready to start the project Jaqen walked over to where Arya was getting ready.

"Have you ever drawn a still life?" Jaqen had asked her watching her fumble around for her supplies.

"No. I never have drawn still life, or at least not people." She refused to meet his eyes.

"They are not too hard to draw. And it makes it easier when you know the subject that you are working on." He was playing with a paint brush as he was looking at her. She still refused to meet his eye.

"That is good to know." Arya mumbled.

"I have to go get ready to go and get undressed." Jaqen smiled at her one last time seeing the discomfort on her face.

Jaqen walked behind a screen and took all his closes off except for a pair of speedo underwear and walked out to stand on the display. He looked around at the class full of his fellow students. The guys were looking at him with calm detached artistic appreciation, or most of them were. A few questions he had were answered, there were defiantly two boys hiding in the closet. As for the females in the class they were all watching him with bright hungry lust filled eyes, even the teacher had put down her smut book to look at him.

The only person not looking at him was Arya. Her eyes were glued to her paper. She sat and sharpened her charcoal pencil and he let a large grin spread across his face.

"All right students we will be doing a rough outline of the figure today. As the week progresses we will give the drawing more in depth refinement and details. Now which way would be the best way for Jaqen to pose for you all?" Varys looked around the class, and a number of hands shot into the air.

Jaqen was pleased to see that most of his classmates were evaluating him in an artist's perspective. The only person who was not discussing his body position was Arya. She had continued to ignore him.

"Arya how would you pose Jaqen?" Varys inquired of the shy little Arya. He stood there with the tips of his fingers tapping on his lips.

"Um, I don't know. Standing?" She shifted on her stool in obvious discomfort to finally have to look at Jaqen.

"That's very original Arya. Why don't you go and pose Jaqen while the rest of the class gets ready, as you already have done so." Varys commanded.

Arya stood up on shaky legs and walked over to Jaqen. She looked at him and he couldn't stop thinking that his plan was going according to plan. Varys had positioned her to have to touch him. To move his body in to a position that she would enjoy drawing. Her hands were cold as they touched his hot skin. She was hesitant at first and he kept looking at her whenever her little hands made contact with his body.

"Thank you for molding my body into a good position." Jaqen’s voice swept down Arias spine. She shivered.

Arya placed him standing but leaning against a half pillar with his left elbow on top and his right arm behind his back. She placed his right foot against the pillar so that it was slightly bent at the knee crossing his left leg. Then she stood back to look at her handy work. Arya’s head was cocked to the side and she looked slightly bird like. She nodded her head once then walked over to her work area and sat down and started to draw.

She had positioned him facing her so Jaqen was able to watch her face as she drew him. She was concentrating on what she was doing, but he noted a blush spread across her face when she got to an uncomfortable part of his body that she had to sketch. Then bell rang all too soon for Jaqen’s liking and Arya scrambled to clean up her area and then bolted out the door before Jaqen could talk to her.

He felt a hand land on his naked shoulder. He turned his head and looked at the hand and let his eyes travel from the hand to the owner.

"I think that this plan of yours is working out very well my boy. That girl is most defiantly still into you. I expect to see a few new paintings in my gallery by the end of the week and I want to get Arya to do some pictures as well." Varys voice was assertive and dismissive at the same time.

Jaqen was still standing on the platform almost completely naked. He felt certainty that his plan might actually work. All he had to do was continue to stand there and let her draw him. He had to talk to her and spend some time alone with him before he felt totally confidant in his abilities to win her. He had to get her to paint with him. Then he had to somehow convince her to give one or two of them to Varys. This was going to be difficult, very difficult. But Jaqen loved a challenge.

She was the most challenging thing he had ever met. He walked back to the screen to dress. There was one part of his plan he had not shared with Varys. It was his own plot. He had a backup. If she did not come to him willingly he would engineer a reason for her to. And there was only one thing standing in his way. And it would be all too easy to make that problem go away.

Bran

Bran hated doctors' offices. They gave him the creeps. They were to clean and they smelled funny. But he would admit that doctors' offices were better then hospitals, at least people didn't die in the doctors like at hospitals.

Catelyn had made an appointment with one of the top neurologists in the country to get his head checked out. He hated that his mother had insisted that he come here. He had figured that he would go to a normal doctor, not a brain specialist. But then his mother always went a tad bit overboard with the medical attention that her children received. Sansa had been lucky that it had been their father with her at the ER when she had been in for her arm. If it had been Catelyn she would have made them admit her and have had a second and third opinion of what was wrong before she would have let Sansa come home.

Bran hoped that this was the only doctor that he had to see. He would not let them poke and prod and test him. His mother might want that, but he would not allow it. No matter what they said was wrong with him.

They had gotten to the appointment an hour early and at an ungodly hour in the morning so Bran was in a really bad mood when the medical assistant called him back to the room. He had not wanted his mother to come with him but she would not take no for an answer and followed him to the exam room.

The exam room smelled  _cleaner_  then the waiting room. The smell alone was giving him a headache, but he figured that he was supposed to have a headache since they were the reason why he was here. Bran did not want to sit on the exam table but he was forced to as the only chair in the room was occupied by his mother and the other seat was a stool on wheels intended for the doctor.

There was a knock on the door and it swung opened and in walked the doctor. His eyes glanced at Bran then they found his mother and a smile spread across his face.

"Cat! It is a pleasure to see you again. It has been to long." The doctor walked over to Catelyn and took both of her hands in his. The doctors hands lingered on hers to long. She finally took them back and forced a smile on her face.

"Petyr it is a pleasure to see you as well. Thank you for seeing us so fast. You know how we mothers can be. If our children are hurt we can go over protective." She smiled at Bran.

The doctor finally tore his eyes away from his mother and looked at him. Bran noticed how his eyes went from true pleasure to false happiness. The good doctor extended his band out to Bran.

"Hello. I am Dr. Petyr Baelish. You must be Bran. I hear that you are having headaches." Petyrs hand was cold and impersonal when they shook hands.

"Yes I have been having headaches." Bran took his hand away from Dr. Baelish as fast as he could.

"Well let us take a look and we will see what the cause is. Can you describe the symptoms and give me a time line of when these headaches started?" Dr. Baelish sat down on the stool and took a tablet out of his small desk and looked at Bran expectantly.

Bran sighed and told Baelish everything about his headaches, except for seeing  _visions_. Baelish nodded his head along with what Bran was saying and entered it into the tablet. He would pause to interject a question every now and then.

"Do you have a headache now Bran?" Petyrs voice was soft and delicate as he probed Bran for answers.

"I do. I always do. I have had them since I got here." Bran was annoyed with this man that was sitting in front of him. He watched as Baelish stole glances at his mother and she tried to avoid his gaze.

"We should do a CT and an MRI. Then if do not show why you are having these problems I would like to run other tests. We can place electrodes to your head and do more diagnostic tests." Dr. Baelish was looking at his mother as he spoke about the tests that they would run.

Bran sat and swung his while the doctor and his mother spoke. His part in the appointment was over and now it seemed that his mother was reminiscing with the doctor.

"I am so happy that you came in to my office. I think that I might be the only doctor who could be able to get to the bottom of your sons condition. Those nose bleeds are slightly concerning. If you would like to make an appointment for the scans with my receptionist on your way out that would be great. And Bran I would like to take some blood to do a blood test to rule out some minor causes of headaches. But for now I can prescribe you a pain medication to help at the moment and you will not have to resort to smoking pot." Petyr laughed and Bran looked at his mother appalled that she had told him about that.

"Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to squeeze us into the schedule today." Catelyn stood and pulled the strap of her bag up her shoulder. "It was very great to see you again Petyr. You will have to have dinner with Ned and I one of these nights."

"Yes we shall." Baelish beamed at Catelyn taking her hand again and stroked it with his. Catelyn looked uncomfortable and pulled her hand away. "Bran it was a pleasure meeting you as well. We will get this figured out and we will have you back to normal in no time."

"Thank you doctor." Bran mumbled.

They walked out the door of the exam room to find a nurse waiting to take them to a lab to get his blood drawn. He hated needles. They were the worst thing world in the world. His mother had told the lab tech about his fear and his reaction to pain so she had sprayed the crook of his elbow with a numbing solution before she plunged the needle into his vein. He looked away as the tech took three vials of blood from him.

Bran was relieved when they were done and they walked out of the lab. His mother stopped at the reception desk to schedule the appointments for all the other tests that Dr. Baelish had ordered and she was handed a prescriptions that were supposed to help his head. While they were leaving they were stopped by Baelish one more time.

"I would like you to see one of my colleges in the next week. He is a psychologist and I think that he can help you as well." Petyr handed Catelyn a card and they finally left the office.

"Now Bran we can either catch brunch before I take you to school or I can take you straight there." Catelyn inquired of Bran as they walked to the car.

"Brunch, most differently. Who is Petyr Baelish?" Bran asked as he strapped on his seat belt and she turned on the car.

His mother stalled in starting the car. She looked at him shocked. Bran knew his question threw her, and she was not easily startled. She took a deep breath and spoke.

"He was my neighbor boy when I was a kid. I think that he had a thing for me when we were growing up. But Lysa had a thing for him, not I. He asked me out once and I turned him down because I loved my sister. Then I went to college and left. He went to school as well and went to med school and we lost contact with each other. I have not seen him since high school ended. I heard that he was a neurologist here in the South and I wanted the best for you Bran. Everything I read said he was the best." She looked at her son and smiled tenderly at him touching his cheek in a motherly manner. "That’s the story, nothing more. Now let's go get something to eat."

“Do you think he still has a thing for you mom? I mean he was pretty excited to see you.” Bran asked in his usual way, wanting to know more.

“It’s been years Bran. No person holds a touch for that long!” She laughed as she started the car and pulled into traffic.

“Well he still acted like he liked you mom.” Bran smiled at her.

“Well you aren’t thinking clearly son. Now how about grilled cheese and tomato soup? I hear there is a restaurant that makes only grilled cheese. It was your favorite when you felt poorly as a kid.” She was heading for the restaurant before he answered.

“Mom, you know the answer. Let’s go eat some grilled cheese!” He smiled at her. “Mom do I really have to go to school today? I mean I feel woozy from the blood loss.” He tried to look pitiful and sad.

His mom laughed and shook her head. He knew she would cave. She didn’t answer until she got to Grilled Cheese and Things. Once they were parked she took a good look at him.

“Brandon you must really not feel good if you don’t want to go to school.” Her brows were knitted together. Her hand stretched out and let it rest on his brow. “Huh. Well you do feel warm, it must be a fever. No school it is my boy. Now let’s go have lunch.”

Sandor

His schedule had not changed much with the new term. In fact it stayed the same. He had hoped that Sansa’s had as well. He had not called her or texted her since that night that they had talked about Titanic. That comment that she made about Joffery being Cal had bugged him most of the night so he had looked it up online. From what he had found her comparison was pretty close to the truth and it most differently reviled to him that she was not as into Joffery as she appeared to be.

So he sat at their at their lab table during first period waiting for her to breeze into the room. She was walked to class by Joffery and he watched as he guided her to their desk, give her a kiss on the cheek and walk out of class.

Sansa put her bag down and took her seat beside him.

"Hi Sandor. How are you doing this morning?" She sounded tired and medicated.

"Fine. How is your arm?" He inquired with real concern in his voice.

"It is okay if I take the medication that they gave to me. But it tends to make me feel a little fuzzy and tired. I want to be at home in bed in my jammies with my stuffed wolf named Lady that I have had since I was a little girl. I still sleep with her when I don't feel good." She babbled.

Sandor smiled. She must not be firing on all cylinders. He was spending too much time with Gendry to use a car reference.

"You sleep with a stuffed animal?" Sandor asked chuckling.

"Um, yes. Yes I sure do. Do you have a problem with that?" She demanded.

"No I do not. I think that it’s cute." He smiled at her.

Class started and they were unable to talk while the teacher droned on and on about the chemical makeup of the different elements of the periodic table, again.

It was a very boring lesson and when the teacher had stopped his lecture to the class started up their assignment they were to work on. There was the sound of pencils scratching on paper and the sharp sound of pages in the textbook being flipped opened to random pages.

"I hate the assignments in this class. The questions are straight forward, but the lectures suck and I never know what is happening in them." Sansa confessed as she looked at the index of the book.

"It really does suck." He also had his nose in the book looking for the answer.

"I wish that I could just give it to Bran to do." Sansa grumbled as she wrote down an answer on the question sheet.

Sandor chuckled as he wrote down an answer.

"I am taking an astronomy seminar this weekend. I was thinking of taking some classes at the observatory." Sansa confessed as she worked.

He stopped looking for answers and he looked at her. Her cheeks were red and her hair was a mess. He had never seen her look so unkept. She was always so put together, so polished. But she sat there looking so different. He liked her more for it, she wasn’t always perfect. He knew what she was talking about and smiled at her again.

"I think I might be going to the same one that you are going to. Want to car pool?" He asked putting down his pencil and looking at her.

"Sure. But only if we can take my car." She smiled at him remembering the last time that he had tried to get in the car.

"Hell no. We are going to be taking my big American car. One that I know that I can fit into." He grumbled also remembering the escapade.

"Fine. But since we won't be taking my car we will be going to have to watch Titanic." She gave him a malicious smile as she reminded him of his promise.

"I had hoped that you were too drugged up to remember that I had said that." He chuckled.

"I do not forget things when Titanic is concerned." Sansa boasted.

"When do you want to do this?" Sandor asked raising one of his eyebrows.

"We can do it anytime this week." Sansa offered.

"I will agree, but only if I can bring homework with me and we work on it during the movie." Sandor said as he started flipping in his book again.

"That works for me. Thursday work?" She asked.

"That should work for me. We can do it at my house if you want." He answered.

"Okay. Now let's get back to work!" Sansa ordered.

Arya

Arya was distracted and spacey most of the morning. She had not been able to concentrate in her poetry class, causing Beric and Aegon to throw chunks of erasers into her hair. She was called upon in math class to answer a question and she was not able to answer it and Myrcella had to answer for her. She had not even been able to put the section of the car that she was working on back together. All she could see was Jaqen standing before her naked, or almost naked. His eyes bored into her as she sketched him.

"Arya you have been tightening that bolt for the last fifteen minutes and haven't said a word either. What is wrong?" Gendry asked as he wiped his hands on a rag as he stood looking down at her.

"What? Oh yeah I was distracted. That is all. What's up?" She smiled up at him.

"Nothing is up. I just wanted to say hi to my girlfriend." He said leaning down to kiss her.

"You can say hi to me anytime." She returned his kiss and put the part that she was working on down and stood up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Hi." He kissed her again and again and again.

"That is enough you two." The teacher barked from the door of his office.

They broke apart and smiled at one another.

"Do you want to say hi to me later today?" She asked, her arms still wound around his neck.

"Can't. Beric won't let us." Gendry frowned.

"I think that I might just kill that little shit." Arya grumbled.

"Don't you do that. We need him. He is the talent of the bunch." Gendry shook his head.

"Well this sucks. Because of him I never get to see you." She pouted.

"I know." He sighed and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Can I come with you tonight?" She asked.

"I don't think that Beric would like that." Gendry told her.

She scowled up at him then smiled up at him.

"I know what I can do while you play rock star. I can go shopping!" She smiled at him; he gave her a bewildered look.

"Shopping? You?" Gendry just continued to look at her as if she had sprouted three heads.

"Yes shopping. For paint, for your room." Arya let the smile tug at her mouth as his opened in disbelief.

“I thought we settled that. You said you liked my room.” He smiled at her remembering the way he got her to say it was nice.

“Well if I can’t shop for paint I guess I will go buy some new bras and underwear.” She smiled at him in a way that made him twitch.

“Fucking Beric. I want to come with you!” He bellowed into the cavern of the shop. Everyone stopped working and looked at him. Arya smiled and ground up against him.

“No way cupcake. This is a one person trip. You have band sessions to do tonight. Now help me with this thing. I can’t get the screw in right.” She slipped past him to work on the discarded part.

He stood there looking at her tight bottom covered by her coverall thinking of what was underneath. He counted to ten and fought not to kill his lead singer. Arya Stark sure knew how to torment him.

Eddard

Things had been going better for him business wise since he had threatened Robert a few weeks back to clean up his act. The threat of leaving and forcing Robert to have to sell off his company piece by piece had really woken him up. He had noticed a change in Robert back to the man that he had once known.

His deal with him included breathalyzer tests every morning and mandatory AA meetings once a week. He got reports from inside his house staff that he was even starting to care for his children. He was taking Tommen to his sports practices and defending Myrcella from her mother's cruelty. Ned knew that Joffery was too influenced by his mother to stand a real chance of a change, but the younger two would really benefit from a relationship with their father.

He sat at his desk and worked on contracts and paper work. If things continued to go this well the Starks could be moving back North before the end of the school year. He had not anticipated the impact that this move would have on his children to the extent that it seemed to have on them.

He found it ironic that the child that he had worried the most over about the move was the one that he had the least worry about now. Arya had flourished and changed for the better in his opinion since they had moved South. She had found friends and an identity. She no longer hid in the shadows and pretended to be something that she was not. He was so proud of his Little Wolf.

Sansa on the other hand seemed to have lost herself. He should have never allowed her to date Joffery, knowing what he did about the boy. Her grades had fallen and since the accident she seemed lost even more. The one good thing in her life South was a boy she was to blind to see. Sandor wanted to protect her, Ned knew this, but she wouldn’t do anything to make it all better.

And Bran was deteriorating as well. There was something that he was hiding from him and Catelyn, something that he was afraid of. Bran always kept his own council but this was too much for a fathers mind. He wanted to help his children be normal again. For no other reason he would pack the family back up and move them home.

His family came first. That was how he had always been. He had made his sister a vow on her death bed to protect her son and his children from all the evil in the world and he was trying like hell to honor that vow. He would die for them and kill to protect them. He hoped that things never came to that, but he knew that he would do anything to see them safe and happy. The arrangement with Robert still needed his attention at the present time so things would have to stay the way that were now and he just had to go pick up the pieces as they fell.

 

 


	22. First

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, its been forever. But here is the next update. Enjoy!

Gendry

The week had been so slow. The images of Arya in one of the sexy undergarments she had mention had plagued him. Each day he was with her in school had been like a feat to not take her into the bathroom and take her suit off and take her. But he had not done that. He was a gentleman and thought up a plan.

It was the first night off from working with the band in almost a week. He was so tired of not being able to see Arya. He was about ready to murder Beric. Just because they were auditioning for a steady gig at a night club on the weekends didn't give Beric the right to act like a crazy person. He had planned a romantic date and dinner for Arya and himself. He found a secluded cliff overlooking the city and sunset all the way to the ocean. Aegon had told him about this spot years ago. He had never been there and had not known that it would be so amazing.

Even though it was a school night he had taken indicative and talked to both Ned and Catelyn Stark about keeping Arya out late on a Thursday night. The whole Stark family was in on the scam. He had not told Arya that he was coming to get her. He had called Jon and asked him what sort of foods Arya liked the best, what music did she like best and most importantly if their parents would be alright with the idea. Gendry suspected that Jon had a hand in sweet talking the Stark parents into saying yes to this plan. The best part was that he got Rickon in on getting Arya out of the house that night. He had told Rickon, who was his new best friend, to annoy his sister until she wanted to pull her hair out and run out of the house screaming.

It was four o'clock when he called Arya to see what she was up to.

"Gendry! Thank god. I am in desperate need of some rescuing. My brother is asking for me to murder him. He has not stopped talking at me since I walked into the door! Can you come get me so I don’t commit sibling homicide?" She sounded so pitiful and angry and disgusted all at the same time.

"Oh that sounds horrible. I am so sorry. I was just calling you to see if there you wanted to go out tonight. I am off band duty. Can I swing by and see you?" He asked, pretending to sound innocent.

"I would welcome the distraction. I have some homework to do, then want to go get a bite to eat?" Arya sounded sick and frustrated.

"I can be there in less than ten minutes. So get the work done." He chuckled.

"That is not fast enough. Can you be here now? I don’t have to do school work, not really!" Arya whined.

“I’ll see you soon. Keep your shirt on, but if you don’t want to I won’t mind!” He smiled at the phone.

“Just get that Stupid ass over here!” Arya shouted.

Gendry hung up the phone and drove to the Stark house. When he pulled up to the house and got out of the car he walked casually up to the door and drolly knocked on the door.

Arya flung opened the door to the house and pulled him into the house looking up like he was the knight in shining armor.

"Oh thank god! You are here. Maybe you can get that little pest of a brother of mine to leave me alone!" Arya pulled Gendry along behind her so that he could get the kid off Arya’s back now that this part of the plan was done.

"Gendry!" Rickon rocketed over to him coming out of the kitchen. "Have you come to play video games?"

"Sorry buddy not today." He looked down at the young kid and watched the performance of a life time play over the boy's face. He looked sad and pouty and ready to cry.

"That is not fair! All you want to do is see Arya. She is nothing but a smelly old girl. Come on and play video games with me." Rickon was pulling on his arm trying desperately to get him away from his sister, all part of the plan.

"Whoa there Rickon. Gendry is my boyfriend, not your new brother. Let's go Gendry. Can you help me with my math homework?" Arya detangled her brother from her boyfriend and walked upstairs to her room to do her homework.

"Sure, I’m a math god. Lead the way." Gendry looked behind him to Rickon and snuck a thumbs up. The boy smiled and ran back into the kitchen.

They got to her room and started in on the math homework. Arya was so helpless at it that he practically did the homework for her. It took less time to do it this way. It was getting close to sunset and he was getting nervous that they would not make it up to the spot in time. At five they finished the last question and smiled over at each other.

"I hate math. I really don’t like this shit." Arya arched her back and threw her pencil across the room. "I am so hungry. Let's go see what Mrs. Clark is making for dinner. Do you want to stay?"

"I have a better idea. We are going out. I know this great place and they have great food. Why don't I go see Rickon for a little while so he stops sulking? He looked so pitiful every time he would look around the door frame, while you change. Dress in warm stuff. Not that skirt that you are in." He smiled tenderly at her and then let his eyes wander down her body. He let the lust he was feeling leak out onto his eyes and noticed how her breathing increased when she looked into his eyes.

"I can do that. Are you going to tell me where this place is or you going to be all mysterious about it?" Arya hated surprises and she was not afraid to let anyone know it.

"It is supposed to be a surprise." Gendry shot back as he walked out of the bedroom. He closed the door as he walked away from her room.

"How did I do?" Rickon chirped from under a small table in the hall. "Did I do good?"

"You did great! Good job buddy." He held up his hands to give the boy a high five.

Rickon just smiled up at him and ran off to pilfer some cookies or something from the kitchen before dinner. Gendry walked into the kitchen and Mrs. Clark smiled at him.

"Gendry I have that basket all ready for you two and your romantic dinner for Arya. All her favorite foods and some of yours as well. There is a blanket and some candles for you as well." Mrs. Clark's eyes crinkled with laughter and memories of past romances.

"Thank you Mrs. Clark. You are an angle." Gendry winked at her as he picked up the basket and hurried to put the whole thing into the car before Arya saw what he was doing.

"Looks like you have everything." Ned remarked as Gendry came back into the house. Catelyn stood beside her husband, her head on his shoulder. They both smiled at him in that way that parents do when they are pleased.

"Yes sir. Thank you so much for allowing me to do this with Arya. I just want to make your daughter feel special and happy." He fidgeted under the scrutiny that he felt coming off Catelyn Stark. He knew that Ned liked him, but he knew that Catelyn still was not so sure of him.

Arya walked down the stairs and looked between her parents and her boyfriend. Smiles sprang up on all their faces as soon as they saw her.

"You look great darling." Her mother told her daughter walking over to give her a hug. She whispered something in Arya’s ear and they gave each other a knowing look as they both gave a small giggle.

Arya walked over to her father and gave him a hug before walking over to Gendry.

"I won't keep her out to late. It is a school night after all." Gendry looked Ned in the eye as he walked out the door holding Arya’s hand.

"Why do I feel like this was a set up?" Arya asked when she slid into the car and scooted along the bench seat in the car until she was in the middle of the seat so she could be next to Gendry when he finally slid into his side.

"Because it was. I talked to your parents, house keeper and your brothers to plan all this. I have a romantic night planned and I knew that you would not like it if I came out and just said let’s do something romantic. So I had to trick you into coming out with me. I know that you would rather go to the car show that is in town, and we will really, but I wanted a little romance damn it." He glanced at her and was happy to see that she was smiling over at him.

"Romance huh? Gods you sound more and more like a girl every day." She gave him a small punch in the arm then flung it around her shoulders as they drove to the spot. "Where are we going?"

"That is a surprise." He winked at her as he continued to drive.

Sansa

She had been thinking of the right way to break up with Joffery all week. The only way that she had figured it would be okay and easy was to say that she was just getting to busy with school and after school commitments and hated not seeing him. But he was making it so difficult! He had been so sweet to her, almost loving and attentive, since he broke her arm.

She wasn't going to lie. She was swamped with school work and extra activities as well. She was doing cheer leading, gymnastics, astronomy club, cinema club, and a book club. She also volunteered with a food bank and an animal shelter. She knew that she was an over achiever, but this was half of what she had been doing at Winterfell.

She was trying to make colleges like her. She was working on her applications for all the Ivy League schools that she had always wanted to go to. She just didn't know what she wanted to do. She heard a commotion out of her door and figured that it would be Rickon bugging Arya. She had heard her parents talking about Gendry taking Arya somewhere on a romantic dinner. Joffery had been asking her to go to Highgarden with him Saturday since she wasn't available to go the first time he asked. It would be their anniversary as well. Not of them being a couple but of the first time that they met.

It was sweet, but too mushy for her taste. She was writing her essay about what it would mean to her to get into Harvard when her phone chimed for a text.

_ Ready for Titanic and chemistry? –Sandor _

Sansa sat bolt upright in her desk chair and smiled. If she was going to see Sandor she had to do something to clean her room. She had to talk to her parents and she had to change her clothes.

_ Yeah I am. Want to come to my house? –Sansa _

_ Why don't you come over to my place, if you can? –Sandor _

Hot and cold washed threw her. Go to his house? That would be interesting. She knew that he didn't ever have any parental supervision. Things could get interesting. She ran out of her room and down the stairs to her father’s study.

"Daddy can I go do some chem homework with Sandor? He and I are going to be studying for a big test over the last three chapters. We would be at the library working." She lied convincingly to herself and her father.

"Chem homework? I have no problem with that. Be home by ten. Will you eat out or grab something here?" Ned kept his eyes on his papers while he talked to her.

"Um something out. Thanks daddy. You are the best." She turned and skipped away.

"Tell your mother before you go." Ned called after her.

Sansa went across the hall to tell her mother her plans. Catelyn was on the phone talking in hushed tones to someone. She watched her mother chat to whoever she was talking with. She was getting more and more agitated with who she was talking with. Sansa knocked on the door frame of the room. Catelyn pulled the phone away from her ear and looked over to Sansa.

"Yes dear?" Catelyn asked.

"I am going to go study for a chem test. Dad wanted me to let you know. I'm eating out." Sansa told her mother.

"Alright. Just be home at curfew." Catelyn went back to talking on the phone.

Sansa ran to her room and grabbed the phone from her desk.

_ I can come now. I have the movie and my books. Do you want me to drive myself or do you want to get me? –Sansa _

_ I can come get you. Be there in ten. –Sandor _

_ Alright. I will see you then. –Sansa _

She grabbed the movie and the book bag from off the floor and walked out of her room to wait for Sandor. She stood by the front door waiting. Rickon came strolling through the entryway. He was munching on an apple and destroying his dinner.

"Hey Sans. What ya up to?" Rickon asked between crunches.

"What do you think I am doing? I am waiting for a friend." She smiled at her baby brother.

"Is your friend as cool as Gendry? Will this friend play video games with me too?" Rickon demanded.

"I don't know if he will. I can ask him." Sansa was looking out the window as she talked to her brother.

"Is he your boyfriend? Isn't Joffery Baratheon your boyfriend? Did you break up with him? Are you in love with this friend of yours?" Rickon badgered Sansa.

"God kid do you ever shut up? Sheesh are you now with the cops? Two can ask questions as well." Sansa ruffled Rickson’s hair. "Now get out of here. I see Sandor. See you later kiddo."

Sansa walked out the door. She looked behind her and saw her little brothers face pushed up against the window beside the door. Laughing she walked to Sandor’s car. He was standing beside it to open the door for her.

"What is so funny?" He asked making sure she was all the way in before shutting the door of the car.

"My brother. I think when he grows up he will be either a private investigator or a writer for a gossip magazine." Sansa strapped on the seat belt. "So are we off to your house now? Cause I haven't eaten and I am starving. Can we get something to eat first?"

"I can order pizza and have it at the house waiting for us when we get there." He put the car into drive and pulled out of the drive way. At the end of the drive way he pulled out his phone and punched in a number. "This is Sandor. I want my regular and a salad as well. One sec. What kind of dressing for the salad?"

"Um, ranch? I don't know. I usually get a vinaigrette type." Sansa said looking at him.

"Do you have any vinaigrette kinds? Raspberry? Yes one of those and one ranch as well. And two sparkling lemonades, one regular and one strawberry. Yes delivered to my house. Thank you." Sandor hung up the phone and pulled the car out into traffic.

She was happy that they were going to eat and that he had ordered a salad. She liked pizza as much as the next person, but salad was a healthy choice. Knowing what she did about Sandor the pizza would probably be piled high with meat and cheese. They drove in silence. Jazz was playing in the stereo. She would have never figured he was a jazz fan. She liked it. It was sad and sweet. They pulled up to his house and he was out and opening her door for her before she had even unbuckled her belt and grabbed her book bag.

He led the way into his house and she was amazed that it was so large, as large as her house in Kings Landing. It was obvious to her that it was decorated by a guy for a guy. She didn't think that it was Sandor’s doing, because it was all overly masculine.

"Wow. This place is large. And slightly dark." Sansa said looking around the place.

"My father redecorated after my mother's death. He was trying to erase her from everything." He looked around the entryway of his house. His eyes looked sad, but they brightened up when he looked at her.

Sansa’s face crumpled with pity. She felt pain for the young Sandor who had plainly missed his mother and a father who was trying to erase everything about the woman that Sandor needed most.

"Do not look at me like that. I do not want pity. Come on. We can watch the movie in the family media room." Sandor walked to the back of the house and Sansa followed. He led her down quite a few hallways till they got to a media room. Once she stepped into the room the idea of the media room went out her mind. It was more of a mini theater with couches and lounge chairs.

"This is some media room. We have one as well, but it just has a big TV in it, not a theater screen. This is going to be so amazing! I always wanted to watch Titanic on the big screen." She smiled over at him and he just shook his head and held out his hand for the video. She handed him the video and went to one of the couches and sat down folding her legs under her and pulling out her chem book.

There was a chime that filled the whole house and Sandor went to the door to get the food. Sansa stood and went to find the remote that worked the DVD player. There were over ten of them sitting on the shelf of the media equipment stand. She had finally decided to pick one up and start pressing buttons.

"Don't even try it Sansa. You push one wrong button and you would mess up the whole system." Sandor's voice boomed from behind her and she jumped and squealed from fright.

"How can a large guy like you, carrying a large box and a bag of food and not make a single sound?" Sansa demanded her hands on her hips.

"I have the stealth of a cat. Now come sit down and I will start this movie and we can eat and study." Sandor sat down the pizza box and walked to the entertainment equipment.

Sansa went to the couch and looked in the bag. She saw that there were plates, cups and silverware in the bag and pulled then out along with the salad and drinks. Then she opened the pizza and stopped. The pizza was not the meat filled one. It had chicken, spinach and onions with a white sauce. She looked up at Sandor fiddling with the remotes and just shook her head as she placed the pizza on plates and divided the salad.

He got the movie playing and the opening music started to play. Sansa felt the tears well in her eyes like they did every time that she watched the opening of the movie.

"Are you going to cry the whole time?" Sandor asked looking at her.

"No, maybe, I don't know." Sansa snapped as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Just shut up and don't judge." She gave Sandor a playful shove and started eating.

“Don’t worry. If you need a shoulder to cry on I’m here.” He smiled as he took a bite of pizza.

Bran

He was in his room with his headphones on and was tapping away on his computer talking to Jojen and Meera. He had decided not to take theater this term because he just sucked at and he stopped taking psychology. The teacher made it so dry that he didn't learn a thing. So he no longer had any classes with the Reeds and only saw then before school and at lunch. But he was still involved in theater. He helped make sets and loved the back stage work. Meera started going to him for motivation to her characters she was working on and so did some of the other actors. Meera had a part in the schools production of The Crucible so she wasn't able to hang out much after school and Bran had to start running again to get ready for track so he was busy. He had no real idea what Jojen did, but Bran was betting it had to do with herbalism.

It was after dinner and he was munching on some brownies that Jojen had given to him for his headaches. The pills that the doc had given to him did nothing. He was talking to them about a vision that he had had that afternoon while he was on one of the paths that he had found for running around the school.

_ I was someone I don't really know who. But I was watching my sister Arya. I think I was in some bushes or something. And she was with Gendry and they were making out. The reason that I know it wasn't me was because instead of disgust at seeing my sister making out with her boyfriend I felt rage. A deep uncontrollable rage that left me shaking. I looked down at my hands and there was a gun in my hands and I just stood there looking at this gun. That was it. What do you think that it means? –Bran _

_ That either your sister or Gendry has a stalker. And that said stalker is fucking crazy. –Jojen _

_ You haven't had one of these come true in a while Bran. Who says that this one will come true? –Meera _

_ I still keep getting the one with Arya driving on a stormy night to rescue Sansa from something. I have a feeling that that one will happen soon. Who says this one isn't going to be like that? –Bran _

_ Well whatever happens we will be there for you Bran. –Meera _

_ I know that you will. It means a lot to me. _ __ _ -Bran _

_ Want to hear what I saw today? –Jojen. _

_ Not if it was a vision. I have my own. –Bran _

_ It was not a vision. It was something I saw in person. It was that Jaqen guy. He was posing in a speedo thing in the art room. It was really disgusting. –Jojen _

_ That is messed up. And it was at school? Gross! –Bran _

_ I know right? –Jojen _

_ The only reason you two are saying that is because you are jealous of how hot he is. –Meera _

_ You are totally wrong. That guy is crazy. –Jojen _

There was a knock on Brand door and his mother called out to him.

_ Guys my mom is outside the door. I got to go. Talk to you later. –Bran _

_ Alright. Later dude! –Jojen _

_ Night Bran. –Meera _

Bran exited out of the chat. His mother was not a fan of the Reeds since the incident. It was better for their relationship of she didn't know that he still was in contact with them.

"Come on in mom. I am just working on history." Bran called out hoping that he could hold himself together while his mom was in his room. The special brownies were starting to take effect.

Catelyn walked into his room with his laundry and put then on the floor by the dresser. Then she looked at him and wrung her hands. She looked as if she had been crying. Bran went cold. His mother was not one to cry for no reason. The last time he had seen her cry was when they were told that their grandfather was dying and had less than six months to live.

"What is wrong mom?" Bran took his headphones off from where they were around his neck so he could concentrate on what she had to say.

"I got a call from Petyr this afternoon. There was an abnormality in your blood test. He wants us to come in on Saturday to get the other tests done so he can have a clear idea with what is going on." Her lip trembled. "It might be nothing. But worst case, you may either have cancer or a brain tumor."

Catelyn broke into a sob. Bran just sat there in shock at what his mother had just told him. Was that why he was seeing things and having headaches? That would make sense. If there was a tumor in his head then that would be a plausible explanation. But if it was a tumor what was going on with Jojen? Why could he see things too? This was just too much. He might have a tumor and his mother was sobbing in his room. He sent a quick text to his dad to come get Catelyn and then went and gave her a hug.

"It is okay mom. We don't know anything yet really so let's not get to upset. Let's wait to do that when we know more." He awakerdly patted her on her back as she cried on his shoulder. She sniffed once and took a tissue out of her pocket and wiped her eyes.

"You’re right I am acting foolish. When did you get to be so smart?" His mother squeezed him until he felt that he was going to choke to death.

"Catelyn, Rickon needs some help on some homework. I have no idea what a Mesopotamian diorama is. Would you mind helping him?" Ned asked pocking his head in Brans room.

Catelyn gave a sniff, looked at Bran one more time then walked out of the room. Ned looked at Bran and Bran looked at his father. They both shrugged and went back to what they were doing before Catelyn walked in. Bran sat back down at the desk and put on his headphones. He went back to his computer and tried to do homework. So he was going to get the scans and find out what was going on. That was all he could do.

He might have a serious problem. He punched the words into his search bar. He was going to know everything there was to know about what could be wrong with himself. 

Sandor

The movie was not too bad. He found it more fascinating to watch Sansa then the romance between Kate and Leo, as she called them. He watched her mouth along the words with the movie, she laughed at things that he didn't think was funny and she teared up at the strangest things.

They had eaten and done their homework and were now watching as the ship sank and the lovers were trapped in the belly of the ship behind a locked gate with water rushing in at them. They sat on the couch right next to each other their body heat mingling together. She sat there with her feet tucked under her and her back almost resting against his chest. It would be so easy to sling his arm around her and pull her to him. His hand was itching to do it. She sat forward in the seat when Rose started screaming and then fell back when the gate opened. She was leaning against his chest then.

"Oh I am sorry." She said looking him in the face and smiling at him.

"It is okay." He replied.

She stayed there resting on his chest for the rest of the movie. He watched as the ship broke up. He watched the frozen bodies bob in the water. He heard her whispering along with the movie when Jack made Rose promise him to live. Then he felt her body start to shake. She was sobbing. Sandor freaked out. He didn't know what to do. He did the only thing he could think of and pulled her to him and held onto her. Sansa burred her face in his neck and cried her heart out. He stroked small circles on her back to try to comfort her.

She finally calmed down and gave some sniffles.

"So sorry about that. I don't know what happened to me. I have seen this movie hundreds of times but I still cry every time." She wiped her eyes and pulled away from him.

"It is okay I don't mind. It is a girl thing. I get it. Kind of." Sandor said sheepishly.

"Do you have a tissue?" She asked.

He looked around and didn't see anything to wipe her tears with. So he did the only thing that he could think of. He leaned up and used his thumb to stroke the shining tears off her face. She sat there, her eyes huge and bright. His breathing was coming out in shallow pants. He placed his whole hand on her face. He felt a smile pull at her lips. She placed her small hand over his and scooted over to lean into him.

That was all the invitation that he needed. He leaned in and let his lips press against hers. It was a chaste kiss at first. Then Sansa wanted more. She pressed him back against the couch and taunted him by opening her mouth and running her tongue against his bottom lip. He gave a primitive growl and opened his mouth to let their tongues dance together. One hand was in her hair and the other was holding her to him. She slid from his side to straddle him. Her right hand was on his face, the scarred side and she kept it there, seemingly unaware that it was ruined. Then she moved her casted arm up to slink around his neck and ended bashing him on the head.

He pulled away in pain cursing.

"Oh god Sandor I am so sorry. Did I hurt you?" Sansa asked anxiously.

"No I'm not hurt." His voice was gruffer then he wanted it to be.

"I am still sorry." She looked down at her cast. "Oh shit, what time is it? I have a ten p.m. curfew on weekdays. If I am late I will be grounded." She squeaked. Sandor had noticed that when Sansa was agitated or nervous she tended to squeak when she talked.

"Its nine forty. We better get you home." He did not want to let her go. He wanted her to stay.

Sansa slid off her lap and Sandor was sure that she felt his erection pulsating through his jeans. She smiled at him as she sat back on her side of the couch and got her things together. He gave a cough to clear his throat and went to get her DVD out of the player while she got her school things in order. He walked back to her after adjusting himself while his back was to Sansa. He held out the movie and she took it from him, letting her fingers linger on his.

He wanted so badly to go back to kissing her. But he knew that if he kept her out to long she would get into trouble and then he would never see her. Then he realized that she was not his to be seeing. She was still dating Joffery. The pit of his stomach felt like it had been loaded with stoned when he remembered the worm. Sandor had done many things that he was not proud of, but he had never been someone to cheat on another person with. Guilt washed over him as he looked at Sansa stand and sling her bag on her shoulder. He walked out of the room knowing that she would follow.

They got into his car and he drove her home. They didn't say a word to each other until they were in her drive way.

"Thanks for watching the movie with me and for studying with me and feeding me. I had a good time, even when we were doing the stupid chem stuff." Her eyes sparkled.

"You are welcome. The movie was not half bad. But I think that I missed the last bit." Sandor watched as Sansa blushed all the way to the roots of her red hair.

"Well we will just have to watch it again. Or maybe you can pick the next movie that we can watch while we study. Maybe for calculus next week?" She sounded so hopeful and optimistic. He could not let her down. So he said the only thing that he could.

"Sure. I pick the Godfather. Have you ever seen it?" She shook her hear. "Good. You will like it. Just like I liked Titanic." He smiled at his joke.

"Well okay then. I had best get inside. See you tomorrow?" She asked her hand on the handle of the car. He was not going to get it for her this time. He did not think it all that safe to get out of the car at the moment.

"Yes you will. I will be the tall guy in most of your classes."

They shared a small chuckle and she slid out of the car and she walked to the door. He did not pull away until he knew that she was inside then drove home. The entire drive all he could think about were how soft her lips were and how feisty she was. He had been right to call her a vixen.

Arya

When Gendry had abducted her, as she liked to think of what he was doing to take her on the romantic getaway she had been slightly annoyed and angry. Not because he wanted to spend time with her or went to so much trouble to make an elaborate scheme to get her away, but that her entire family knew about it before she did. Even Jon knew and he was back up North at school.

She sat beside him, her hand on his thigh and tried to get information out of him as she massaged his thigh, moving her hand further up his leg with each question. But it did not work. He would not say one word, not even when her hand was directly on his manly bits and she started to rub her hand on him. She finally gave up and sat beside him quietly, sulking.

They drove up out of the city and into the hills. He knew that she wanted out of the city, she was always complaining about it to him. Gendry knew that she missed nature and wilderness. So that is where she figured he was taking her. It was not what she was used to but it was the best he could do.

They went along an old dirt road that had deep ruts in the road and she smiled as his hand landed on her breast in a pretense to make sure that she didn't bounce forward and smack her head on the dash. Then he started to massage and torcher her for what she had done to him earlier.

"We are almost there. What would you say if I asked you to close your eyes?" He asked as he teased her nipple to a point.

"What, oh they already are. But I would tell you to fuck off." 

He gave a deep chuckle and continued to work on her, making her more aroused as the seconds went by. Arya had not been joking when she said her eyes were closed. There was something magical about the way that Gendry worked her breast. Even with his hand on top of her bra and shirt she felt everything he did and it coursed through her entire body.

"Alright. We’re here." Gendry’s voice broke into her lust filled daze. His mouth was inches from her ear and she felt his hot sweet breath on her neck. She shivered and reached for him and pulled him to her in a hungry kiss that was more of a battle then a kiss. Gendry finally broke away and looked over at her.

"Do you know how much I want you right now? You are like a drug, or a new video game. I just want you more and more."

"I don't know if I should be flattered or angry." She said giving him a small shove. Arya turned away from him and finally saw where they were.

The sun was setting and they had a view all the way to the ocean. The sky went from yellow, to peach to red to blue. The lights of the city below them were starting to turn on and the stars were starting to shine as well. She scooted to the front of the seat to get a better view.

"Oh Gendry this is beautiful." She whispered, afraid of she spoke to loud it would all diaper.

"It is. I didn't know if you would like it here. Aegon said that this place was magical and now I understand why. It is almost as beautiful as you are Arya Stark."

She blushed and turned away from the view to give him a soft loving kiss before turning back to watch the day melt into night. Gendry got out of the car and held his hand out to Arya to take to get out of the car. He walked over to the trunk and pulled out two baskets. One appeared to have a blanket and pillows the other was food. He set them out and she started to take the food out. He was back at his trunk pulling out wood for a fire. When she got to the bottom of the food basket she saw that there were marshmallows in it. She smiled. She loved roasting marshmallows.

She set the food out for the as he lit the fire and the candles that were in with the blanket and pillows. She knew that Mrs. Clark had made the dinner for them. There was lasagna and garlic bread with a salad for the dinner and stuff to make s’mores for after. They had sparkling cranberry apple cider to drink and hot chocolate to go with desert. It was a perfect date.

When they were done eating they sat before the fire and made out. They both agreed that it was too cold to do what they wanted, but they had agreed for some private time Saturday during the day before Gendry and the guys had their first show at the new club.

"Arya I have something for you. It is not much. But I want you to have it." Gendry shifted her off his chest and dug around in his pocket. He pulled out a small jewelry case and handed it to her.

Arya opened the box. Inside was a necklace and on the end of it was a small silver skeleton key. She looked over at him slightly confused.

"Gendry it is lovely, I just don't understand what it represents."

Gendry reached into the box and draped the necklace around her neck, giving it a soft kiss before he let her hair fall back.

"It was either this key or one for my car, or a small socket. This key belongs to the lock of my childhood treasure box. I wanted to get you something that means something to me. I used to hide all my secret stuff in that box. All my hearts secrets and my dreams. Then I met you and I didn't need that box anymore. You seem to be everything that I have ever wanted rolled up into one small perfect package." He has started kissing her face with that last sentence. "And I wanted you to have this key as a reminder of how much I care for you."

Arya just stared at him and held the small key in her hand. What he had just done was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her. There was a knot in her throat when he had finished telling her what the key represented to him.

She threw her arms around her neck and pulled him down onto her. Her hand groped on the ground beside them and she flung a down throw blanket on the top of them. They were getting warmed under the blanket and she started to take some of her layers off until she was in nothing but her bra. As they kissed and got into varies stages of undress Gendry’s hands had always been on her skin.

They were both naked from the waist up and were touching and stroking each other but that was not enough for her. She wanted more and she knew that he did as well. She managed to wiggle out of her jeans one leg at a time. Gendry got the message and slid out of his pants as well. When they were both in nothing but their under were they knew that there was no turning back now.

Arya’s hands tugged at the elastic of Gendry’s boxers and she slid them off his body. She felt his freed erection press into her stomach as they kissed. His hand trailed down from her breasts where they had been playing with her nipples into small ripe buttons for his mouth to capture and his tongue to tease into throbbing pieces of her body down to her most intimate parts. He burred his hand in the curls between her legs and started to stroke her. She arched her back as he inserted a finger into her tight moist opening. Arya sucked on her tongue as he made her dance beneath him with each thrust of his strong finger. First it was one, then two and then three.

She was panting and whimpering wanting more of him, wanting all of him. She whispered his name and grabbed his stiff member in her hand and stroked him, getting him ready for her. It did not take much to get him to the point when he was ready to enter her. She started rubbing the tip of him on the entrance of her womanhood. He was shuddering over her at the feel of her on his tip. He was completely still worried that if he moved he would move to fast and he would hurt her. She knew that is what he was doing, but she gave a frustrated growled and nudged him with her leg locked on his hip.

That was all the encouragement that he needed. He slowly pushed himself into her. She felt a stinging pain and sucked in her breath. Then he started to move slowly within her and the pain disappeared, replaced by pleasure. One of his arms was supporting his weight while the other was between her legs rubbing small circles on her clit as he pumped inside her in a steady rhythm. Her legs were locked around his waist, pulling him in deeper with every thrust. They kept their mouths active as well. His mouth worked her breast and he sucked on her nipples till they were pointy pink berries. Her mouth trailed on his neck and her tongue found his ear and with every flick of her tongue his pumping grew more sporadic and less careful.

"Let go Gendry, just let go. I want you. I want more of you right now," she demanded into his ear.

He was looking her right in the eyes and her name was floating off his lips with every thrust that he made within her. She was so close to pure pleasure. She scratched her nails down his back and he shuddered and pumped more franticly. Soon she threw her head back and let out a gasp and a cry as wave upon wave of pleasure racked her body and she danced under him. Then he was grunting and tensing as she clenched around him. He found his release as he called out her name.

He collapsed on top of her while they struggled to get their breathing under control. She ran her finger tips over his back and in his hair. He leaned up and gave her a small kiss before pulling out of her and sliding to spoon her from behind. She lay beside him shivering and completely happy and content.

"This was the best date ever. I can't wait to do it again." She said wiggling closer to him.

He gave a soft laugh and kissed her neck.

"Are you hurt?"

"Just a little sore. But I knew that I would be. And you don't have to worry about not using a condom." He muttered shit and she pulled him closer to her when he had started to pull away. "I started the birth control shots two month ago. So we are good." She closed her eyes and started to doze off.

"Arya you can't go to sleep here. I know that you want to, but we can't. I am literally freezing my ass off here. You are a bit of a blanket hog."

She grumbled and sat up to start getting dressed, pulling the blanket up with her.

"Brat."

"Oh shut up. The sooner we get dressed the sooner we can get into the car with a heater."

They both skipped around pulling on their discarded clothes. Gendry put the fire out and she gathered up the blankets and pillows and threw them into the trunk of the car. Once the cleanup was finished they got into the car. Gendry turned it on and the heater up to full blast. They snuggled together until it was warm in the car then started home. They held hands the whole time. When they got to her driveway she leaned up and kissed him.

"I love you." She said in a small voice.

"I love you too." He said back.

She rubbed her nose on his then slid out of the car and into her house. She waved when she got to the door and he drove away. She stood with her back against the front door and Sansa came walking out of the kitchen. They had not spoken much since the party at Blackwater. They looked at each other. Arya desperately wanted to tell her sister about what had just happened and she knew that Sansa was dying to say something to her. But she couldn't bring herself to talk to her while Sansa was being an idiot and still dating Joffery.

"Have a good time on your date?" Sansa finally asked.

"Yes, it was great. How was your night?" Arya asked just to be polite.

"It was good. I studied for a chem test with Sandor."

"Oh that is nice. I am tired. I'm going to bed. Night." Arya walked to the stairs and up to her room. Sansa looked as if she wanted to talk longer, maybe ask her something, but Arya was tired and sore. All she wanted was a shower and then sleep.

"Oh okay. Good night." Sansa called after her.

She didn't even look back. She just walked right up to her room and shut the door. She was smiling as she got her jammies ready. Not even her thick headed sister could spoil the good mood that she was in.

Myrcella

She and Aegon were at the kitchen table playing Monopoly with Tommen when Joffery swaggered into the room. Myrcella could tell that he had been at the gym because he was all sweaty and in his workout clothes. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and walked over to the table and sat down. He had been acting strange lately. But if Myrcella really thought about it everyone in her family was acting oddly.

Her mother had started drinking all the time, her father wasn't and Joffery was being nice to her and Tommen. It was if the members of her family had been replaced with doppelgangers and no one had told her.

"Monopoly! I love this game." Joffery said as he took a swig of his water.

"It's part of my math homework." Tommen piped up from Jofferys right.

"That is really cool kid. I wish that I could play a board game for homework. Enjoy this while you can buddy. As soon as you get into middle school cool stuff like this won't happen ever." Joffery smiled and ruffled Tommen's hair.

Myrcella and Aegon sat there looking at Joffery then looked at each other. They were stunned and confused about what was going on. Joffery usually avoided Aegon since the punch in the face two months before.

"Aegon I wanted to apologize for being such a dick to you. I can see that you make my sister happy and that is all that really matters." Everyone at the table sat there in disbelief. Joffery had never apologized to anyone in his entire life.

"No problem. It's in the past. All we can do is move on, right?" Aegon finally stuttered after getting over the shock.

"Right. And I want to apologize to you two as well. I have been a shitty brother and I want to change that starting now." Joffery said looking from Myrcella to Tommen.

"Okay. I think you not being a jerk is a cool idea." Tommen said beaming at Joffery. Myrcella held her breath. In the past a comment like that would have set Joffery off. But all Joffery did was smile at the younger boy.

Mystified as to what could be happening to Joffery all Myrcella could do was say thank you and rolled the dice for the game. The four of them sat at the table and played the game, Joffery helping Tommen and they had a good time. Tommen won the game, or that is what the others told him and he raced off to tell his dad.

"Joff what has brought on this new change of heart?" Myrcella asked.

Joffery stopped cleaning up the game and looked Myrcella in the eye.

"Two things. Dad and Sansa." He said. Myrcella and Aegon waited for him to continue. Joffery rubbed his eyes and went on with his explanation. "Since dad has been working with Eddard Stark he has not been the ass that he usually is. He is caring for us for the first time in our lives." Myrcella nodded her head that she understood. "He has been talking to me and made me realize that if I keep acting the way that I was I was going to end up worse off then he was. I finally realized that mom had always kept us apart, making me believe that dad didn't care about us. I was angry, jealous of you and Tommen because dad seemed to like you better. But now that dads stopped drinking and is doing good I can see that he was never pushing me away, mom was holding me away from him. He has been telling me about the company and I think that it is really cool. I am going to take it over from him one day I figure I should learn about it now. And I really like to spend time with dad."

Myrcella had never heard her brother talk about her father or the company like that before. Joffery looked almost like a child again. She felt tears sting in her eyes and grabbed Aegon’s hand for emotional support.

"And Sansa? How is she making you better?" Aegon asked.

Joffery smiled and looked over Myrcellas head as if seeing Sansa standing behind her.

"She is the best person in the world. She is so nice and kind. She sees the good in people. She saw good in me. If there wasn't good in me then she would not be dating me right? Sansa gave me hope that I could change."

"Oh Joff I am happy that you are changing." Myrcella said taking her brothers hand across the table and giving it a small squeeze.

He smiled at her and stood up. "I have homework to do. See you two later. And I really am sorry. Myrcella I know you deserve more then words, but at the moment they are all that I have." Joffery rushed out of the room.

The tears escaped her eyes and she wiped them away.

"I think that he is drugged." Aegon’s voice whispered in her ear. She felt his arms lock around her holding her close.

"I hope not. It would be great to finally have a brother." She kissed Aegon and they continued to put the game away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Worth the wait? Let me know.


	23. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I usually don't make comments of the content of the story, but there is a section in the story starting in this chapter that has a violent assault in it. It is not graphic, but it is an assault.

Bran

Bran was back at the doctor's office. He was sitting in the waiting room waiting for the MRI to scan his brain. He was not completely happy to back at Dr. Baelish's clinic, but he was here. His mother was wringing her hands and her eyes were shifting from side to side. Bran flipped thru the pages of back issues of magazines and stupid things seeped into his memory. He learned that a strawberry was the only fruit that had seeds on the outside and that bees are born fully grown.

"Bran glad that you came back!" Doctor Baelish said as he walked out into the waiting room. His eyes were not on Bran but his mother.

The doctor continued to disgust and angers him with his attitude and the attention that he was showering on his mother was going to make him kill this sad little doctor. He was lead from the waiting room to the scanner. The doctor was chattering the whole time and would not shut up. His mother was soaking the attention up and at least she was distracted.

Bran was handed one of those hospital gown that are opened in the back. He was instructed to take everything off and slip into the gown. He changed behind the screen and then walked out into the cold room.

"Very good Bran. Sorry about the chill. You took all the metal off your body? Yes good. Now the tech is going to help you up onto the bed of the machine. Now I want you to be very still. Then we are going to take you to another room and do another similar test, but we are going to take different pictures of you. Are you ready?" Baelish asked.

He didn't wait for the answer. He just watched as Bran was placed on the bed and he was moved into the machine. Bran heard whirling and banging and other mechanical sounds. He was cold and uncomfortable and his butt was hanging out of a dress.

It felt like forever, laying there stretched out on the bed. He could not move and there was a horrible itch on his leg. Finally it was over. Bran was allowed to sit up. His head swam and he was feeling dizzy from inactivity and from being in the prone position for such an extended period of time.

His mother was still having her ear chatted off by the doctor when they led Bran to the net machine. The process was repeated. He was shuffled into another cold room and placed on another slab and told to lie still while pictures of his insides were taken. He was over joyed when the tech took pity on him and turned on some music. So the half an hour it took to do the scan was not as unbearable as it was the first time around.

His mother busted into the room looking relieved to see him. The slimy doctor followed her still talking. She gave Bran back his clothing and he changed behind a screen.

"Now we won't know what the scans say until Monday. But as soon as I know what they say I will call you with the news. Do not fear my dear Catelyn. I will get to the bottom of what is wrong with your dear boy." Petyr Baelish said holding onto Catelyn's hand, trying to reassure her, but only ending up sounding slimy.

"Thank you so much Petyr. Ned and I are so grateful for all that you are doing for us. And Bran. He thanks you as well. Isn't that right Bran?" Catelyn turned to her son.

"Yes. Thank you Doctor for your help. I would like to say that the medicine that you gave me to help with the headaches is not working. And I still have been getting the nose bleeds." Bran confesses.

Baelish looked at Bran for a long moment then said, "We won't be able to find the proper medication to help the headaches. Sorry kiddo but you are just going to have to tough it out, for lack of a better term, until we know what is going on."

"Okay. Is that all for the day?" Bran asked.

"Yes, this is all we can today. You can go home now. Stop by the reception area and make an appointment to see the psychologist. If there is something going on with you it will be important to have psychological help along the way." Dr. Baelish said looking between Bran and Catelyn.

"Thank you doctor. For the help and advice. We will make the appointment. Good bye Doctor Baelish." Catelyn shook his hand and walked out to reception with Bran in tow.

"We need to make an appointment to have Bran Stark see one of the councilors. The doctor said that you would be able to make us an appointment for us?" Catelyn asked the receptionist.

"Yes I can. Do you have a preference on which you see?" The girl asked typing into the computer super-fast.

"Whoever is available? The earlier the better." Bran told the girl.

She looked at the screen and then wrote the information down on a card and slid it across the desk to Catelyn. She took it and placed it in her bag. Bran felt a little annoyed that she was treating him as if he was a child and not giving him the card. It was his appointment after all. For all he knew his mother would insist on sitting in on the appointment with the shrink. That was just what he needed, his mommy there to make sure that her baby was okay. It irritated him to no end that she treated him that way.

Out in the car neither said anything to each other. He knew that his mother was worrying about him, thinking of all the worst case scenarios. The only one that he could think of was that whatever was going on with him could kill him. If there was a tumor in his brain they could get it out. He had read enough about that sort of thing to know what could happen. With the advances and the new knowledge that doctors had now he was sure that things would work out in the end if it was in fact a tumor in his brain. He just hoped his mother realized this before she drove him crazy with all her fussing and sighing and scared glances.

Jaqen

His plan was failing. He had lost her for sure now. He had watched them all during the week at school and he knew that things had changed between them when they were together on Friday. They were touching and smiling and looking at each other. They were happy. He was angry. There was a rage bubbling in him that was causing him to burn. He had never lost anything in his life and he had to admit that he had lost Arya.

He had decided to follow them on Saturday. They went to a bookstore and had coffee. And laughed and touched. They went to the park and he pushed her on a swing and laughed and touched. They went to dinner at a sushi place and he watched as they gave each other bites. And they touched and laughed.

Every touch and every laugh made his fist clench. His pulse race and his rage turn into a rolling boil. He did like her, he knew that. But he had liked girls before and had never reacted this way. He had just never lost a girl to someone that was so below him. Gendry Waters was not on his level. Jaqen was in his prime. He was spectacular and Arya was as well. She deserved to be with someone on her level.

But he knew that he had lost her. He had not done enough to win her, to keep her. He did not like what he was feeling. He felt like there was something dark driving him to distraction. He knew that it was Arya, the loss of her or the loss of the idea of her. Jaqen was worried that these feelings were going to take him down a dark path. A path that he was frightened of because he knew that whatever happened he would not stop until he got what he wanted.

Jaqen was acting crazy following them to the night club that Gendry's band was playing at. He sat in his car as the rain pelted against the windshield. He watched as Gendry held an umbrella over Aryas head. They were laughing and touching and he was livid. He should be the one with the umbrella. He should be the one holding her elbow and joking with Arya.

His hands wrung out the steering wheel thinking of a certain person's neck that he wanted to be strangling. The band was not going to be playing for another hour, so he just sat there in the car with the rain drumming on the canvas of the cover of his jeep. It kept in rhythm with the pounding of his heart and furry that he was trying to contain.

When they were finally letting people into the club he blended into the crowd. He stood in line with the rain pelting down on him. He paid for his ticket and walked in. He went to the bar and ordered a drink. The bartended didn't check for ID. He took the shot of whiskey and signaled for another and asked for a cola. He scanned the crowd and looked for Arya. He found her and watched her face blossom with lust and happiness as Gendry walked out on stage with the rest of his band.

They were not that bad, but he couldn't bring himself to like them. His anger and hatred for Gendry was over shadowing his appreciation for the music. He watched as Arya stood and sang at the front of the stage with the blond Baratheon girl. She was glowing and happy and beautiful. It was easy to know why he loved her. She threw off energy and magic with every wave of her head and swish of her hips. He knew that he was in love. She was the reason that he breathed in and out. Arya was the reason that he was painting. He watched as she swayed and moved to the beat of the music and felt possessed. He took the second shot and moved into the crowd to be closer to Arya but not close enough for her to see him.

He stood there surrounded by people feeling the crush of their bodies against his and he felt nothing. She was saying something to the blond girl and she nodded her head. Arya slithered into the crows to the bar. He moved so that she would have to brush against him and he felt. He felt her and she didn't even see him. She didn't even feel him.

He had lost her and that moment had just proved it. Arya Stark does not want him, she did not love him and he felt sick. His eyes swung up to the stage and he glared up at Gendry. He lifted his eyes and met Jaqens in the multitude of people. His outrage flared anew when he saw that stupid fucking Bull smile at him. Gendry knew that he had won and was showing Jaqen that he had. That was it the last straw. He was going to get even if it was the last thing that Jaqen did.

Sandor

Sandor had been conflicted and guilty for the last two days. He should not have allowed Sansa to get that close to him. He had enjoyed kissing her. He had loved the way that she felt the way that she had tasted. He had a growing need to have more of her with every breath that he took. Classes on Friday were almost unbearable. She had been so close and so tantalizing. When they were sitting there in class next to one another he had been in agony. Her sent wafted around her, swirling around him with every move that she made.

She had asked him if they were still going to go to the lecture on Sunday together. He had told her that they still could if she wanted to. It would be fun he had said. He felt like it was a bit like torture to agree to that, but he would rather stand to close to the sun then be banished from its warm glow.

His guilt had doubled on Friday when he got a call from Joffery telling him that he was going to take Sansa out to Highgarden for dinner on Saturday. He was going to take her out to celebrate the first day that they had met. It was so romantic that Sandor was going to be sick.

So on Saturday he had taken Gendrys offer to come watch his show. It was a great set. They played awesome. Arya and Myrcella saw him and pulled him up to the front of the stage to stand with them. He was really enjoying himself. The two girls were treating him like a friend and not as a freak or someone that they had to be with. When the band took a break Arya and Myrcella pulled him backstage to chat with the guys.

"Hey Sandor! Glad that you could make it. We don't see you out without Joffery much." Beric shouted when he saw his tall hulking form lumber to the back stage access area.

"I needed to get out." He said simply.

"I would say that you need to get out. I haven't seen you out in a long time. Have you been mooning over a certain redhead?" Thoros asked with wicked glint in his eye.

"Sort of." Sandor grumbled shifting his feet. He was uncomfortable with the way the line of questioning was going. He shot a glance over at Arya to see what her reaction was.

"Don't worry. She didn't hear. She and Gendry are off in lala land." Hot Pie said pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah. They seem to be in a cocoon of love over there." Thoros smiled at the love birds.

"Gendry should know better then to be acting like this when we are on a job." Beric bitched. Sandor looked at Hot Pie and Thoros. They both rolled their eyes. It seemed that they had heard the same thing before.

"Give it a rest will you?" Thoros whined.

Sandor walked away from the three bickering band mates and started edging for the door.

"Sandor do you have plans for spring break?" Gendry’s voice rang out right as he had his hand on the door knob.

"I don't have any plans. You?" Sandor asked as he sighed and turned back to the room.

"Well Arya here was telling me about her brothers wanting to have us play for them at a party. We all were going to make a road trip up there. Jon's birthday is during our spring break and it would be the perfect time to bring him the car that we have been working on. Want to come?" Gendry smiled at him with his arm slung around Aryas waist.

"I would have to think about that. I will let you know." Sandor said.

"Oh come on Sandor, it will be fun. I think you need some fun in your life, don't you?" Aegon asked.

Sandor knew that they were just being friendly and were trying to include him, and it was nice to know that they were trying to be his friends.

"What the hell. Send me the info and I will come with you." He said. "Thank god it won't be for a while. March is a long way off."

"Maybe I can get Sansa to come too. Her car gets great gas mileage so we could use that for some of us." Arya said thinking about the logistics of the trip and calculating things already.

That was just what Sandor wanted. To be stuck with Sansa and her sister and the guys for a week and have no way to escape the vixen. But he had already said that he would go, and he did not back out when he said that he would do something.

"As long as I don't have to try to squeeze into that tiny car I am okay with it." Sandor said with a laugh.

Myrcella just looked at him with this measuring look on her face then asked, "Have you tried to fit in it?"

"Yes. Once. I got stuck." He confessed. The rest of the room erupted in laughter at the imagined visual of the extra tall Sandor getting into the extra small Mini. "I am so glad that I could give you all something to laugh about."

"Are you sure you would not do it again? I'd pay you. I have twenty bucks right here." Aegon whipped out a bill and waved it around in Sandors face. The room started laughing again, Sandor included.

"Ask me when we have the trip." Sandor said all smiles.

Sansa

She was such a bad person! She had made out with her boyfriend's best friend. And she had enjoyed it! It had been like summer and ice cream and heaven all rolled into one thing. But when the next day came around she could not bring herself to break to off with Joffery. He had  _changed_. There was something kind about him that had not been there before. They still had their date Saturday evening, so she had decided to go on it, talk about them both doing better and if he was willing to work at changing she would try; if not she would break things off with him.

She got ready Saturday night and took time and care on her hair and makeup. She found a dress that looked good on her and would keep her warm as well as make her look good. She had on a green wool dress that was slightly scratchy but thanks to a slip she was able to keep the sensitive parts of her body protected. She loved this dress. It matched her coloring and with her half sleeves it was good with her cast.

It was raining out and she was glad for the warmer things that she was used to wearing up North. Her trench coat was over her arm as she waited for Joffery to come collect her for their date. Sansa was pacing back and forward in the entry way waiting. He came to the house precisely at six p.m. and knocked on the door. She answered it smiling and Joffery stood there with a bouquet of yellow lilies and red roses.

"I saw these when I was coming to get you and I knew that I had to have them for you. They reminded me of you." He said handing her the flowers.

"Thank you Joffery these are beautiful." She took the flowers and placed them on a table knowing that her mother would put them in water for her.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked smiling at her.

"Yes. Let me just put on my coat." She slipped her coat on and then they walked out of the door hand in hand.

They were in the car driving to the restaurant. All was good. Joffery was talking about things that she was interested in. He even asked about going with her to the animal shelter the next time that she went. He was being funny and charming and it was not the first time that she thought that he was on some kind of medicine.

Margaery was even noticing a change in Joffery. Her best girl friend here was now seeing her boyfriend in a new light. If Margaery took a liking to Joffery then things would not be that bad for her. If she broke things off with Joffery and he stayed nice and sweet then Margaery could be there and sooth poor Jofferys broken heart. That would make things so nice and convenient. That way she would not feel guilty for wanting to date Sandor.

They arrived at Highgarden and were ushered out of the car. The valet had umbrellas so they would not get wet as they walked to the door. She was impressed at the grandeur and magnificence of the place. It was like no place that she had ever been to. She was flabbergasted and in shock at the speed in which they were seated. They knew Joffery by name and took them to a table that over looked the ocean. She looked out on the stormy sea and smiled. It reminded her slightly of home. Wild and untamed like the North.

"What are you smiling about?" Joffery asked.

"Nothing. Everything. Highgarden is amazing. The view reminds me of the North. I do miss home." She confessed with a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Then we should take a trip there soon. I would love to see where you grew up. Do you know what you want?"

"Not yet. Everything looks so good. I think that the wilted spinach salad looks good. I might start with that. What about you?" She looked up from her menu.

"I will be getting the crab stuffed shrimp, followed by the beef Wellington and for desert a chocolate soufflé. I recommend for you the salad, that works and then for the main the lobster and mac and cheese. That is delicious and then for desert I think that you should have the lemon marring pie." Joffery said looking at the menu.

"That sounds great. I will have that. Thank you for the suggestion."

"You are welcome. You like Macaroni and cheese right? I remember you saying something to Sandor the other day at lunch. You were stealing his."

Sansa blushed at the memory. Joffery had been talking to some of his football pals about college next year and Margaery was talking about clothes with the other girls. She and Sandor had been talking about their math teacher and how she has a high nasally voice that reminds them both of nails on a chalk board and that it makes the class very hard to understand. He had been playing around with his mac and cheese and she told him that he should not play with his food, especially when it was mac and cheese. He had taunted her saying that only little kids liked it. She had smiled, picked up her fork and stabbed some noodles onto it then popped it in her mouth. She had closed her eyes and smiled in bliss. She had been unaware that Joffery or anyone had seen that exchange between the two of them, all she could see was Sandors shocked face, then the smile that spread over it as he started to eat his lunch.

"Yes I so like it. So what colleges have you applied to?" She asked changing the subject.

"Harvard. It is the one I really want. But my mother convinced me to apply to UCLA so I would be close to home. What about you, where did you apply?"

"Just about everywhere. My mother thinks I should go to Pacific University, for the same reasons that your mom wants you at UCLA. But I applied to almost all the Ivy's. Emerson looks like a great choice. I just don't know what I want to do. That's the problem." She said with a shrug.

The waiter came then and took their order and Joffery told him what they had decided. The waiter then asked what wine they wanted with their meal. Joffery said that he would take a red of some kind that goes well with his mean and ordered Sansa a sweet white. The waiter didn't look at their ID's and came over with their wine and poured. Joffery told the waiter to leave the bottles of his and Sansa shook her head that she did not want hers, but would like some water as well.

She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised at the taste. She was not a drinker. She knew that her parents did not like their children drinking, and they took a more aggressive stance if it was herself or Arya drinking, probably because they were girls, then they did her older brothers. She had imagined that wine would be harsh and sour. But the one that Joffery had ordered was sweet and nothing like she thought wine would be like.

"This is very good Joffery. But won't we get in trouble? We are under age." She whispered to him as he swirled his wine in his glass before taking a sip of the dark red liquid.

"No, not with the money that I am paying. They know better then to question me; if they did my family would stop coming here. We are very good patrons of this place." Joffery gave her the cocky smile that she had first thought was handsome, but now found annoying.

"Oh."

Their starters came and they ate in silence enjoying the excellently prepared food that was before them. As she laid her fork down the main course was brought to them and Sansa was glad to find that her wine did not clash with her meal, but enhanced it. She had no idea that food could go so well with drinks or other courses. It was the best Mac and cheese that she had ever had. Joffery looked as if he was enjoying his meal as well. Mrs. Clark always said that you could tell that the food was good if it left the people eating it in silence.

"Joffery that was the most delicious thing that I have ever had in my life. Thank you for this. It was the perfect way to mark our first meeting." She said smiling at him from across the table.

"I am glad that you liked it. I hope that you have room for desert still." He gave her a sloppy smile as he poured his third glass of wine and then noticed that there was not that much in the bottle and emptied the rest of the bottle into his glass. And instead of taking sips he was swallowing it like it was nothing but water.

Sansa was worried that the wine had made him to intoxicated to drive, but feared saying that because she did not want to anger him. The evening had been so lovely that she did not want to mess it up now.

Desert came and it was as good as the rest of the meal. She finished her wine with the main course of the meal and drank the glass of water with her delicious pie. She was not feeling tipsy but she looked at Joffery and saw the he had a slightly glazes look in his eye. Her worry rose again, but then he smiled and blinked and the look was gone.

He held out his hand a top the table and she placed hers in his. His hand was hot and clammy and she wanted to pull it out but feared his reaction if she did. He leaned forward to kiss her and she knew that she had to kiss him in return. When their lips met there was no spark, no magic like there was when she kissed Sandor. It was more like kissing a dead fish. Thankfully the kiss didn't last to long. The waiter came up with the check and Joffery gave him a credit card without looking at the cost.

When Jofferys card was returned to him they prepared to leave. He held her jacket up for her to slink into and then offered her his arm to walk out with. It had been a very pleasant evening, but she would be more then happy for it to end. Her arm was starting to bother her and she now just wanted to go to sleep. His car was waiting for then when they stepped outside and the boys with the umbrellas were there to make sure that they did not get wet. Sansa slid into her seat and latched her seat belt on while Joffery was walking to his side of the car. He got in and they pulled away from the restaurant into the dark and rainy night.

They did not speak, she felt that Joffery had something on his mind and he was unsure how to bring it up. They were on a stretch of dark deserted Pacific Highway when he pulled over into a truck turn off zone. Joffery turned off the car and angled his body to face her.

"Sansa we have been dating for a while now and we haven't done anything. Are you one of those girls saving it for marriage or is it me?" Joffery asked sounding confused, angry and hurt all at the same time.

Sansa was unprepared for this question. She sat there in shocked silence and amazement that he would even ask her that. The truth was that she did not find him appealing. She had desire for Sandor but none for Joffery. He was alright to look at but he did not set her pulse racing. But she could not tell Joffery that. She decided to play it safe and tell the lie of keeping herself until marriage.

"I am saving myself Joffery. It had nothing to do with you," she lied, "but it is something that I decided to do from the time I was a child."

"Oh I see. So no sex. But there are other things that we can do." With that he unzipped his pants and pulled himself out. "There is nothing in your rules about oral is there?"

Sansa sat there frozen is disgust and fear. She did not want to do anything with him. But he grabbed her by the head and was forcing her head down closer to him. She struggled and he dug his hand into her hair and twisted forcing a yell of pain from her lips. He took the opportunity to guide his penis into her mouth. She gagged and struggled to pull away. His grip was to strong and she was unable to move. He forced himself deeper down her throat causing her to choke. She did the only thing that she could think of, she clenched her teeth on him.

He screamed out in pain and she pulled up off him and away. He slapped her across the face and she grabbed her purse and opened the door to the car and ran out into the rain and into the scattering of trees along the pull off. She could hear Joffery calling for her in the rain from the car. He was angry at first then started yelling he was sorry. Then he was crying. She was hiding under a tree, but was still getting soaked. Joffery stood by his car calling out to her then gave up after ten minutes and drove away leaving her on the side of the highway. Sansa staggered to the base of a tree and threw up the entire meal onto the ground. She crawled away to another tree and collapsed in on herself. She sobbed. Her mind was wheeling and she felt so violated and lost. She was in shock. She didn’t register the scrapes on her hands and knees from her dash from the car, or the rain pelting down on her or the cold seeping over her from the ground. All she knew was that she was alone and hurt. She reached for her couch and took out her phone and looked at it for several minutes.

Sansa did the only thing that she could think of and called her sister.

Arya

Arya was backstage for the second half of the show with Myrcella and Sandor. The guys were kicking ass. The atmosphere in the club was the best she had ever seen. They responded to them and they fell under their spell. She didn't even mind that Beric had used two more of her poems and turned them into songs, she was happy that he did ask first. He even gave her credit for them and called her out on stage after the audience reacted so approvingly to it. She grudgingly walked out on stage and received cheers. Then Gendry had pulled her over to him as she was walking off stage and gave her a good solid kiss right there in front of everyone. The cheer from their kiss was more deafening then they had shown for any of the songs that they had heard that night. She pushed him off her smiling and walked off before Beric could start booing.

They struck up the next song and she forgot that they had just made out. Gendry was playing like one of those old legendary men that sold their souls to the devil. She and Myrcella were singing and dancing together. Sandor looked both happy to be there and included, but stiff and uncomfortable at the same time. She had no idea that he was friends with Gendry and the other guys, but she was glad that he was. He was in the same sick trap that Sansa was the bad ship Joffery.

There were three songs left in their set when her phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and looked at the name plate. It was Sansa. She was supposed to be on some kind of date with Joffery tonight. She figured that Sansa had pocket dialed her and pressed ignore. Then she called again. Arya was angry to have to miss the last of the show to answer her sisters call, but she walked into the backstage area that they had been before so she could hear what her sister had to say.

"What is it Sansa? I am at the club watching Gendry and his band." She snapped when she finally answered.

"Arya I need you to come get me. Something happened on my way home with Joffery and I got out of the car. I am on the side of the road and I need you to come get me please. I am so scared Arya, please come find me." Sansa sobbed into the phone.

"Sansa what do you mean something happened? What happened?" Arya demanded.

"He tried to get me to do things that I did not want to do. Then he hit me. I am on the side of the highway in the rain and I am scared. Please come get me." Sansa broke down in tears and Arya could hear the fear in her sister's voice.

"I am on my way. I will find you. I will have to steal Gendrys car. I will be there as soon as I can." Arya rummaged in Gendrys things pulling out his keys.

"Thank you Arya. I didn't know who else to call."

"I will be there. Do not worry Sansa I will be there." Arya hung up the phone and ran out of the little room to tell Myrcella where she was going to tell Gendry what she was doing and what was going on.

"What do you mean that Sansa ran out of Jofferys car on the way home from their date?" Myrcella yelled to be heard. Arya noticed that Sandors head swung in their direction at the mention of Sansa’s name.

"He hurt her and she got out of the car and is now on the side of the road somewhere. I am going to get her. Tell Gendry that I took his car. I will bring it back to him." She started to leave out the side door when a vice like grip clamped down on her arm. Arya looked up into the concerned face of Sandor.

"What happened to Sansa? Is she alright? Do you need help finding her?" He let his naked fear for her sister show on his face.

"She is in trouble. I am going to look for her. She is on the Pacific Highway." Arya babbled trying to break free of Sandor. The more time she was here talking the more time her sister was out in the rain.

"I am coming with you." Sandor said walking to the exit with her.

"She doesn't want to see anyone right now. If you want to do something go kill that piece of shit that hurt my sister." Arya snapped as she made it to the door and ran to Gendrys car.

She opened the door and slid in. She had to adjust the seat before she could go but once that was done she put the car in drive and tore away from the club to save her sister.

The rain was pelting against the glass and the wipers were swishing at top speed. She was in a mad rush to get to Sansa. When she was close to where her sister was she slowed and called her.

"Arya thank god where are you?" Sansa asked relief filling her voice.

"I am close. Tell me if you see or hear me. I will be flashing my lights and honking the horn." Arya started to honk and flash the lights.

"I see you! There is a small pull off on the right of the car. I am in the woods there trying to stay dry. Thank god that you found me!" Sansa said the happiness evident in her voice.

Arya pulled over into the muddy rutted pull out. Sansa came bounding to the car, slipping and falling in the mud. Arya got out to assist her sister into the car and once they were both inside and buckled Arya turned the car around and headed home. She sent a fast text to both Gendry and Myrcella telling them that she had found Sansa and was on her way back. She asked them both to let Sandor know that Sansa was alright.

_Sandor is here with us. We are at Gendrys house. Come here before you go home. She might need to calm down and clean up before you go home. I have something with me that she can change into. –Myrcella_

_Okay we will head there. Thanks. –Arya_

_Come over to my house. Sandor is ready to kill someone unless he can see that Sansa is okay with his own eyes. Be safe but get here soon. I love you. –Gendry_

_I love you too. –Arya_

"You shouldn't text and drive Arya." Sansa said, her teeth chattering with cold.

Arya put the heat on full blast and chuckled at her sister. Even in one of the scariest moments in her life she still had to be the bossy older sister.

"You do it all the time. Sans I am not going straight home. I think you need to get cleaned up a little before we do that. Myrcella is with Gendry and the guys at his house. I have to go there to take his car back. We can stop there for you to get decent and then go home. Is that okay" Arya asked. She did not want to overdo it for her sister.

"That will be fine." Sansa replied in a flat toneless voice.

Arya was now scared. Her sister was not supposed to sound like that. Something was wrong with her and Arya feared that nothing was going to fix it.

"Sansa I am sorry. But he will never hurt you again. Do you understand me? He will pay for what he did to you. I am so sorry." Arya told her sister as she struggled out of her jacket and slung it over to Sansa to try to get warm with.

"Thank you for coming to get me. I love you Arya." Sansa whispered.

"I love you too sister." Arya reached her hand out and Sansa took it in her good one. They drove the rest of the way to Gendrys house like that. Holding hands and not saying a word. Their actions had said everything.

Gendry

They were finishing the third song to the last of their set when he noticed Arya disappear from the sideline for the stage. He was distracted and not on the top of his game for the last two songs of the night. He knew that Beric would be seething with anger when the show was over, but he had noticed the way that Arya had looked. She was distressed and angry and he felt like she was going to do something crazy. Arya had talked to both Myrcella and Sandor. As soon as the show was over he tore off the stage and raced to find Myrcella.

"Where is she? What happened to her?" He grabbed Myrcella and shook her without meaning to.

"Sansa is in trouble. She went to help her. She took your car and said that she would let us know when she found Sansa." Myrcella said in a soothing voice.

"She doesn't have a license she shouldn't be out driving. She went out in this storm? God. Is she crazy?" He seethed as she walked around the wings of the stage.

"If you think you are acting crazy you should see the way that Sandor is acting. He is ready to kill someone. As soon as Sansas name was mentioned he went crazy. I had to bar the door with my body to keep him here. Now stay calm. Arya will find Sansa and then they will both be back safe. Keep your shirt on. Go help the guys break down the stage and by the time we get back to your house they will be back." She patted his arm and then gave him a shove to do his job with striking the set.

He stumbled back on stage and started to pack up the gear. His mind was in a whirl of fear for Arya and what she was doing. The manual labor was what he needed to keep his mind off what Arya was doing. He was so sure that she was in danger and he was not there to save her. But she can take care of herself right? She was a tough girl. They had loaded all the stuff in to Hot Pies van and then they were talking to the owner of the club setting up more dates for gigs for them to play.

"We have shows here all the way up to that spring break gig! And we will be getting 400 bucks each. That is the most that we have ever been paid! Can you believe it!" Beric was skipping around in the rain after their talk.

Gendry and the others just looked at one another and were thrilled that they were getting paid that much in the first place. He was happy that he was not getting yelled at for the messing up the last three songs. He was still worried because he had not heard from Arya yet. He was fighting all the instincts that he had to not get into Aegons car and go looking for her himself. He was going to drive in the car with Sandor and show him way to his house where the equipment was going to be stored this week.

Sandor was still hanging around. He was in worse shape then Gendry was. Gendry knew that if Sandor was left alone he would go kill whoever it was that had hurt who Sansa, but they all knew who it was. Gendry walked over to Sandor and leaned against his car.

"Hey. Can I get a ride? The van if full and Aegons car only holds two comfortably, three if they pack in there like sardines." Gendry tried to smile but it was trapped before his face could materialize it.

"Sure." Sandor grunted.

They got into Sandors car and drove to Gendrys house. They helped the rest of the guys unpack the van and placed the stuff into the extra room off the kitchen. Gendry pulled out sodas and waters from the fridge and Thoros started to order a pizza when Sandor asked where he was getting it from.

"I was just going to get something from Dominoes. They are opened this late and have cheap pizza." Thoros said with a shrug.

"That is crap. Let me call my usual pizza place. They make the best pizza in town and it is still opened this late." Sandor flipped open his phone and called and ordered his "usual" as well as a meat special and a cheese. He had tomatoes on the side as well as chili flakes and parmesan cheese.

"That sounds awesome man. What is your regular?" Hot Pie asked.

"Chicken, spinach, onions and a white sauce with extra cheese." Sandor said as he went and looked out the window to see if the girls had arrived yet.

His phone and Myrcellas both chimed and they pulled out their phones.

_I found Sansa. She is a little shaken up and soaked from the cold but relatively okay. We are on our way back. Tell Sandor that I have her and she is alright._

Myrcella typed into her phone and she got a reply back. Gendry walked over to Sandor and showed him the phone. Gendry watched Sandors face as he took a deep breath and his shoulders relaxed just slightly.

_Come over to my house. Sandor is ready to kill someone unless he can see that Sansa is okay with his own eyes. Be safe but get here soon. I love you. –Gendry_

_I love you too. –Arya_

The pizza was delivered and Sandor handed the guy a bank card to pay for them. Gendry walked into his kitchen and grabbed some plates and passed them around. They were all settling down when Arya and Sansa came through the door. They all just sat around looking at the disheveled appearance of Sansa. She was soaked to the bone and covered with mud and there was a slight trickle of blood on her lip, chin, hands and knees and there was a bruise on her right cheek.

Myrcella rushed over to the Stark sisters and she took them to the bathroom where Myrcella had placed a bag on the back of the toilet of clothes for Sansa to change into.

Sandor and Gendry both just stood there wanting to follow them, to make sure that they both were okay, but they both knew that this was a girl thing. The rest of the guys looked at the two who stood there at the ready to go to their girls when they were allowed. Hot Pie had even put his plate on the coffee table. When Hot Pie stopped eating he knew that things were not good.

"What happened to her?" Thoros asked.

Gendry remembered that the others did not know about Sansa being stranded on the side of the road or how she had gotten there. Gendry didn't even know why she was on that road in the first place, but he suspected that it had something to do with Joffery.

The shower started to run and Myrcella and Arya walked out to the kitchen.

"Gendry do you have any plastic wrap?" Myrcella called out.

Gendry rushed out of the living room and into the kitchen. He grabbed the plastic wrap and handed it over to Myrcella who took it back to Sansa. Arya stood by the kitchen sink with the water running, her shoulders shaking as she cried. Her back was to him so he didn't see Gendry walk up behind her and wrap his arms around her middle.

"Shhh. It is okay Arya. It is okay. Did she say what happened?" He rubbed her shoulders and placed a small kiss on her neck to let her know that she was not alone.

"He tried to rape her. He started to and she stopped him and got away. She is in the bathroom right now crying and throwing up. I watched her wash her mouth out with soap. She kept saying she had to wash him out of her. Fuck, if we weren’t standing there she probably would have drank bleach! I want to kill him Gendry, I just want to kill him." She shook and sobbed.

"We have to call the cops. Report him. That way Joffery won't be able to do it again. Will Sansa go for that?" Gendry asked.

"I don't even know if she will tell our parents. Should I talk to her?" She looked up at him and his heart swelled with love and protection for the fierce wild girl before him, as he watched the tears drip down her face.

"You can talk to her until your face is blue, but it will have to be something that she wants to do. I think that the only person that can help Sansa is Sansa." Gendry tried to sound reassuring and comforting.

"You are right." She rested her head on his chest and he put her head under his chin.

"She is in the shower. I hope you don't mind that Gendry." Myrcella called into the kitchen.

"Whatever Sansa needs she can have to help. Did she say anything to you?" Gendry asked.

"She just said that it was her fault. She let him drink, she was drinking to. She said that things went to far. They were having a good night she said." Myrcella walked into the room and stood opposite them. Aegon, Thoros, Beric, Hot Pie and Sandor came in as well.

"Is she okay?" Sandor asked in his harsh voice. He sounded scared and venerable.

"I don't know. Maybe you can talk to her." Arya sighed and looked over at Sandor.

"I can do that." Sandor nodded his head yes.

They dispersed from the kitchen and went back to the living room. They sat around eating the now cold pizza waiting for Sansa to come out of the bathroom.

Finally the water stopped. Arya went to her sister. Gendry watched as she left and then looked over to Sandor. He was still there waiting for Sansa walk out. When she finally did walk out with Arya into the living room she sat down on the couch next to Sandor. They started having a hushed conversation together. Arya came over to Gendry and hugged him. It was getting late and he knew that the girls had to be getting home soon.

"Arya you have to go home, you and Sansa. Do you want me to take you?"

"Yeah. That would be good." Arya murmured watching her sister interact with Sandor.

Sandor gave Sansa a side hug and they smiled at each other. She was nodding her head and looking convinced about something.

"Are you ready to go home Arya?" Sansa asked looking over to her sister.

"Yes. Gendry is ready to go when you are." Arya said.

They gathered up their things and so did Myrcella. One look at Myrcellas face and Gendry could tell that she was out for blood, whatever it was that she was going to do. They were in the car and Gendry had to move the seat back to where it goes. He looked at Arya and she blushed. They drove home in silence. When they arrived to the Stark house the girls got out and they had three minutes to their curfew.

Arya gave Gendry a kiss and it was quick. She ran to the house in the rain and held on to Sansa. Gendry watched as they got into the house then went back to his home.

He was stunned that a night that had started out so amazing had become a nightmare. He hoped Sansa was strong enough for what ever she was going to do. He knew that Arya would be there with her and he would be there for Arya, no matter what.

Myrcella

When Myrcella had heard that something had happened Sansa he was in shock that her brother could do something to hurt her. Especially after what he had told her earlier this week. What had compelled him to do that to Sansa? She had wanted to go home and confront him the entire time that she had been with Aegon and the rest of the guys. If it had not been for her boyfriend she would have gone home and stomped in her brothers genitals with a stiletto heel and ground them to a pulp.

When the Stark sisters had come to Gendrys house she had wanted to throw up. Seeing what her brother had done made her sick. She wanted to throw up seeing the bruise on Sansas perfectly pale face. The blood on her lip. It was not what she wanted to see. Then she heard the details of what her brother did. How he had forced himself on Sansa. She had to leave the bathroom and stand in the hall when Sansa started to wash her mouth out with soap.

She had wanted to be sick all over the hallway. She had stayed by the door so she could hear what Sansa was saying. Then the shower turned on and the talking stopped. Arya came out of the bathroom and just looked at Myrcella.

"I didn't do this to Sansa Arya. Stop looking at me as if I was there as well," Myrcella snapped.

"I don't know what you mean. I know that you didn't do it and that you weren't there. I am just in fucking shock okay?" Arya snapped back. "Sansa needs plastic wrap for her cast."

"I will get it." Myrcella walked into the kitchen, Arya on her heels.

She could tell that her best friend was angry at Joffery and that being his sister made her an easy target of that anger. When Arya had asked for the plastic wrap Myrcella had taken it into the bathroom for Sansa. She helped the girl wrap her cast and remove her outer dress and tights. They sat there in the mist covered bathroom. Sansa had not wanted to cry in front of Arya, so when Myrcella had walked back in she had found Sansa on the floor of the bathroom sobbing out all her fear and hate and misery.

"It is okay Sansa, you got away, it is okay now. You are safe." Myrcella repeated over and over again as she watched another human being shatter into a million pieces.

When Sansa was under control she said that she wanted to shower so Myrcella stood out in the hall for a moment then went back into the kitchen.

She knew that she was talking to the others. They had asked her questions and she had responded to them. But what she was saying she could not say after. She was trying to understand why her brother had done what he did. The Joffery that she had known all her life was capable of doing such a thing, but the new Joffery that she was starting to know? He was not the kind of person to do that to Sansa. She was the reason that he was changing, becoming a better person. How he could destroy that was beyond her. She decided to find out when she got home.

Twenty to one they all left Grendys house. He took Sansa and Arya home. Sansa seemed a little better after her shower and talking to Sandor. They were perfect for each other. They filled in the empty places the two had. She had hoped that Sansa and her brother would make it because of the positive influence Sansa was on Joffery, but after tonight and the events that occurred she doubted that they would last the coming morning.

Argon drove her home and tried to engage her in conversation until about half way he gave up. She sat there thinking about what she was going to do when she got home. She knew that she was going to confront Joffery, she just hoped that he didn't react to violently.

Aegon stopped at her front door and turned to looked over at her.

"It is not your fault Myrcella. You did everything in your power to stop Sansa. You told Arya about him and she told her sister. That is all that you could have done. Don't beat yourself up about this. You could have done nothing." Aegon said with such conviction in his voice that she almost believed him.

"I could have done more Aegon. I could have done so much more." She cried.

"There was nothing that you could have done. I love you My Cella. Go get some sleep honey, you are tired and need some sleep." Aegon kissed her forehead and they hugged.

Myrcella got out of the car and walked to her house. She went to her fathers den to tell him about what Joffery had done to Sansa, but found him in the middle of a business call. She signaled that she needed to talk to him and he nodded.

She trudged up stairs and headed to her room. She was passing her mother's dressing room door and heard raised voices.

"How could you be so stupid Joffery? Doctor Baelish told you what would happen if you drank while on the medication. And what did you do? You drink an entire bottle of wine! How dumb are you?" Cersie was yelling.

"I am sorry mother, I wasn't thinking." Joffery said quietly.

"When that girl tells her parents what you did and they tell your father all that work that we have done will be for nothing. Robert will want nothing to do with you. You just kissed goodbye the only chance that you had on getting anything from your father now. There goes your chance at being a part of the company. You might even go to jail for this!" Cerise was raging at Joffery and Myrcella heard the thump of breaking objects in the room. “You know how important it was for that fat fool to believe you had changed, made you a part of things, so when I leave him you and I could destroy the company from the inside! You fool!”

Myrcella stood there lessening to her mother yell at her brother. Joffery was on pills of some kind to make him act differently. He had not changed on his own. It all made sense. Her mother was behind this all. Cersie wanted Robert to take an interest to Joffery the way that he was with Tommen and Myrcella and the only way to do that was to change Joffery. So they had resorted to pills to do it.

"I hope that they do change you and put you in jail it is more then you deserve. I hope that Eddard Stark comes after you with the furry of the gods and destroys you. You are such a stupid worthless excuse of a child of mine that I want to disown you right now!" Cersie screamed.

"Maybe I can fix things mother." Joffery suggested in a small voice.

"Fix things? How can you possibly do that? Get the girl another pretty bobble? I don't think so. You left her on the side of the road, so that means that she had to call someone to come get her. And what do you think that she told them? That you had car trouble and left her on the side of the road to find help? No. She told them the truth, that you stuck your dick down her throat and that she ran away before you could fully rape her!" Cersie laughed throwing more things around the room.

"I am sorry mother. I won't do this again. I won't drink while I am on the medication. I will take it every day, I can do better!" Joffery pleaded to his mother.

"The damage is done. Get out of my sight."

Myrcella ran down the hall to one of the storage closets down the hall from her mother's dressing room. She stood there stunned trying not to make a noise so that Joffery or her mother would not find her. Her heart was hammering so fast she thought that it would explode. She was so angry at her mother. How could she be so cold? To use her child like this was disgusting. She had to go tell her father what was happening. He was better now, he should be able to help. Myrcella took a deep breath and walked out of the closet and down the stairs to her fathers den.

She poked her head in but he was gone. She looked in the kitchen, his office and the library. He was not in any of those places so she went out to see if his car was in its spot. It was gone and she felt so alone. She slumped against the wall of the garage and cried.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a very intense chapter and it has been a difficult one to write. I hope that it was not to graphic or untasteful. Remember to let me know what you all think about where it is going so far. Thanks.


	24. Pineapple

Arya

The door to their fathers study was closed, but Arya knew that he was in there still. He would not go to sleep until both of his daughters were home. She stood there looking at the door holding Sansa's hand waiting for her sister to make a move towards it. She was getting restless waiting for Sansa to do something. So after almost ten minutes of standing there she pulled Sansa to the door and knocked.

"Yes?" Their father's voice called from behind the door.

Arya opened it and pulled her sister into the room with her. She gave Sansa a look that she hoped said that it was now or never and that she better tell their dad what happened, because if she didn't Arya would so it for her.

Sansa took a shuddering breath and cleared her throat. Ned looked up from his computer then and blinked in confusion.

"Girls what is going on?" Ned asked.

"Something happened father. I was, Joffery he." Sansa faltered and looked down at the floor unable to continue. She was shaking like a leaf and holding onto Arya’s hand as if she was the only solid thing in the world.

"What happened Sansa?" Ned was growing more concerned by the second. He looked at Arya to fill in the blanks.

"Joffery tried to rape her dad. They were in the car and he tried to rape her. He forced himself on her, in her. Then he left her on the side of the road in the rain. I had to rescue her earlier this evening." Arya said looking her father in the eye the whole time.

Ned sat behind his desk and looked as if he was either going to be sick or kill someone.

"Sansa is this true?" Ned tried to keep his voice soft. He didn't want to frighten her more then she already was.

"Yes daddy. It's true. He assaulted me." Then she turned her head and she showed him the bruise and split lip that she had also received.

"Why didn't you come home right away?" Ned asked looking between both of his daughters.

"I had Gendry’s car. Once I got back to his house with Sansa she needed some time to freak out, then we came straight home." Arya said matter of fact like, but in a way that her father was unable to question.

"So you were at his house? Was it just you three or were there others?"

"There were others. The rest of the band and Myrcella and Sandor were there as well." Arya supplied.

"Sansa do you want to make a report to the police about what happened? If you do I think that we should go now. And I am going to call Robert and tell him about what is going on so he can make sure that Joffery is in fact at the house and that he doesn't leave." Ned was watching Sansa. She was still looking at her feet but nodded her head.

Ned picked up his phone and placed the call. Arya stood there with Sansa holding her hand while their father talked to Robert.

"Robert, there has been an incident with Joffery and Sansa. She says that he assaulted her and I believe her from the bruises that he left on her face. No that is not necessary. He also sexually assaulted her as well. Robert do not hurt the boy. Call your sponsor! I am taking her to the hospital and then to talk to the police. No you do not need to come. You will either hear from me or the cops. Alright. Just don't let him leave the house and do not act as if you know what is going on." He hung up the phone and called Catelyn next grabbing his coat and keys from the coat rack behind his desk.

"Cat, something happened. The girls are home, but I have to take Sansa and I suppose Arya to the hospital. Something happened to Sansa. She was assaulted. No I have it in hand. You stay with the boys. I will let you know what is going on. Alright. I love you." Ned hung up the phone and motioned for the girls to exit the room first.

Catelyn was at the top of the stairs on her way down as they were almost to the door. Arya turned to look at her mother and just blinked. Sansa saw her and let her bruised side show. Catelyn let out a gasp of horror, but stood there with her hand covering her mouth watching her family walk out the door.

Ned got into the SUV and the sisters piled into the back. Sansa still would not let go of Arya’s hand, but she was not going to pull away. Arya knew that her sister had had too much taken from her that night that she was not going to pull away from her too.

They reached the hospital and they were admitted into the ER. A nurse came in and looked at Sansa’s face. They were told that a doctor would be there shortly to make sure that she was okay. Ned walked out with the nurse and Arya was sure that he was telling her that Sansa had been sexually abused as well as beaten. The nurse came in and asked her a series of questions while Ned stood outside.

"There was no other abuse, besides the fact that the creep forced her to give him oral sex!" Arya finally shouted at the nurse after asking Sansa if she was sure that she did not have any vaginal penetration for the tenth time in a row.

"Calm down dear. I am just making sure that we have all the information that we need for the report. I have to ask these questions." The nurse left them then and the sisters were left alone.

The doctor came in then and checked Sansa’s face to make sure that there were no broken bones. He said that she would be okay then asked how her arm was doing.

"It is fine sir. But it is a little sore and itches like heck." Sansa said weakly.

"We are going to take some blood and run some tests. Your father says that you have a stop to make tonight before you can go home. I can give you some medication to help you sleep." The doctor’s voice was kind and reassuring.

"Thank you doctor." Sansa said.

The nurse came in and took blood, and then the Starks left the hospital and made their way to the police station. Ned walked to the front desk and talked to the duty officer. They were told that that a detective would come to talk to then in a moment. The sat in hard plastic chairs in the hall waiting.

"Mr. Stark? I am detective Bronn. I will be taking your daughters statement. If you would follow me, we can go to a private room in the back of the hall. Just follow me." The detective led then down the hallway to a dimly lit room that was stacked with papers and files that smelled slightly of stale cigarettes. "Take a seat." Detective Bronn indicated the chairs around a table.

Arya sat and pulled Sansa into the seat next to her. After the talk with the doctor and the nurse Sansa had reverted further into herself. Arya was afraid that her sister couldn't take telling another person about what happened to her one more time. She hoped that her sister was Stark then she had ever seen her act.

"Now Sansa would you mind telling me, in as much detail what happened tonight and the events leading up to the attack?" The detective sat across from the girls and started writing on a legal pad before Sansa had even said a word.

"Joffery Baratheon and I went to dinner at Highgarden. Joffery drank an entire bottle of wine during the meal. Then we left and we were driving home. He asked me I was leading him on because I have not had sex with him and we have been dating for a while now. I told him that I was saving myself. He seemed agitated and frustrated. He pulled onto a pull out of some kind on the side of the road and unzipped his pants, and," Sansa’s voice faltered and she gave a small cry. Arya squeezed her hand in encouragement. "And he exposed his penis to me. He then grabbed me by the hair pulling me down to him. I would not open my mouth so he twisted my hair and made me cry out. Then he jammed himself into my mouth and forced me to give him oral. I was trying to yell no and stop but I couldn't because I couldn't breathe. I was choking. I did the only thing that I could think to do so I bit him."

"You bit him? And he let you go?" Detective Bronn questioned gently.

"Yes. I bit him and was able to pull away. Joffery then hit me across the face. I don't know if it was an open handed slap or a closed fist, but he hit me. I grabbed my purse and got out of the car and ran to a grouping of trees on the side of the pull out and hid. He looked for me and called me names, but then he finally left me on the side of the highway. I called my sister and she came and found me. That is it. That is all that happened." Sansa collapsed into tears and Arya pulled her into a hug trying to sooth her.

"Thank you Miss Stark. We will file these assault charges on your behalf. I am going to need to take a picture of your face for evidence. Let me get the camera. Then once that is done you can go home and we will contact you when we have the guy that did this to you in custody." The detective stood and walked out of the room.

"Thank you Arya for being here with me. I could not do this without you." Sansa said so softly Arya was not sure if she was meant to hear or not. She didn't answer, she just sat there holding her sister.

Sansa

After the pictures of her face had been taken and her father spoke with the detective they were finally able to go home. It was three thirty in the morning when they pulled into the driveway of their house. Arya was dead on her feet, but she still was awake enough to walk Sansa up to her room. Their father had given Sansa the medicine to help her sleep as they left the police station and she hoped that it would work soon. She wanted to sleep so badly, maybe then she could forget what had happened to her.

Arya got Sansa to her room and was starting to walk to her room but Sansa's hand shot out and stopped her from going to her room.

"Will you sleep here with me tonight? I don't want to be alone." Sansa knew that she sounded pitiful, but she didn't care, she just needed her sister.

"Sure thing sis. Let's go to bed." Arya walked into Sansa’s room and walked over to her dresser and started pulling open drawers.

"What are you looking for?" Sansa demanded striding over to her dresser and shutting the drawers that Arya had just opened.

"PJ's. I need something to sleep in and since I was not able to go to my room to get some I have to wear yours." Arya yawned.

"Oh." Sansa opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a shirt that Robb had given to her when he first started college.

"Thanks." Arya mumbled. She started to pull her clothes off and Sansa turned her back on her sister and tried to find something for her to sleep in. The sweats that Myrcella had let her change into were comfy but she wanted something that was hers to sleep in. She found some yoga pants and a tank top that was more of what she had in mind. She peeked over her shoulder to see where Arya was. Her sister had already claimed the side of the bed closest to the door and her eyes were closed. Sansa changed as fast as she could, and then slipped into her bed next to her sister.

"What did Sandor tell you before we left Gendry’s house?" Arya said with her eyes still closed.

"He said that it was not my fault. That I did nothing wrong. That I should not be afraid of going and confronting Joffery or about going to the cops. He is the reason that I went through with all this. He also told me that this was not the first time Joffery has done something like this. But most girls don't come forward because he pays them off and tells them that if they do go to the cops they will be the ones in trouble because they did a sex act for money. I guess I ran off before he could pay me." Sansa gave a half laugh before falling quiet.

"You are the bravest person that I know Sansa. I am proud to have you as my sister." Arya hugged her tight then turned facing the door to fall asleep.

Sansa tried to do the same but every time she closed her eyes she kept seeing Joffery. She tossed and turned for most of the night. Then as the first blush of the day lit up the sky she finally fell into a dreamless sleep.

Eddard

"What happened to Sansa Ned? The truth, all of it." Catelyn demanded as soon as he walked into his bedroom.

"The truth is is that that little filthy son of a bitch Joffery raped our daughter. The truth is that he hit her and then left her on the side of the road like she was a piece of trash." Ned's voice was harsh and Catelyn reacted as if she had been slapped.

"That bastard is going to pay. I will personally castrate the little fucker for hurting my daughter. I will have his head on a spike for this, him and that mother that showed him how to treat women like they were nothing. I know that Robert can be a real pig but he would never hurt a woman. This has Cersei all over it." Catelyn raged.

"Calm down now love, this will not help Sansa. The detective that we talked to said that this is a she said he said case and they are hard to get a conviction with these kind of cases. But he thinks because Sansa has bruises on her face that have been documented and with her broken arm and the report that I made at the hospital that night it happened that it just might stick. Joffery will pay for this." Ned sat on the edge of the bed and hung his head.

He felt like this was partially his fault. He should have told Sansa that she could not date that boy. He had known that Joffery was rotten. He had had all the people that his children associated with vetted. He knew what was in his back ground. All the fights that he was involved in but never proven to have had a hand in later on once his mother got wind of them. He should have told her that Joffery was off limits. But that plan would have backfired on him. It would have pushed Sansa into Jofferys sick depraved arms and she would have been hurt worse sooner. Or that is what he had been telling himself all night as he watched his little girl, his child crack and crumble right before his eyes. When they had taken the pictures of her face he had watched a little more of her shatter with every flash of the camera.

"It is late Cat. We need our sleep for what we have to deal with tomorrow."

“We should have gone home Ned.” Cat said softly as she lay in bed next to him. He reached out over thinking sized bed and settled her on his chest. She cried without a sound. 

“It would have prevented Sansa’s attack, but I know you think moving here caused Bran to be sick.” He rubbed soothing circles on her back. “But it wouldn’t have. And we would have had to bring him down here for treatment. And we can’t leave now. Not until we see justice done for Sansa. We will get through this Cat.”

“But Ned, everything feels so hopeless.”

“No. It is not hopeless. There is always hope. As long as we stick together.” He kissed her and they fell asleep holding each other.

Sandor

From the moment that he had learned that Sansa had hurt the only thing he had wanted to do was kill the scum that had hurt her. For some reason he was very protective her. She was the first person that he had seen in color since his mother died. Everyone else was just shadows and smoke walking around him, but she was real. Sansa was more than just a shadow. And for someone to hurt her like that made him want to do something to hurt the filth that did that to the one good thing in his life.

One thirty in the morning and he knew that he would not be able to sleep. He sat behind the wheel of his car and tried to think about what he could do to get back at Joffery. Sandor knew that he could not physically harm the jackass. Sandor knew that if he started hitting Joffery he would never stop. So he sat there and he brooded. Then an idea struck him.

Smiling he picked up his phone and called Gendry.

"Hey you awake?" Sandor gruff voice asked.

"Yeah I am awake. What do you want?"

"I was thinking of a way to get back at Joffery without resorting to murder. Do you want to help?" Sandor asked with glee starting to like the idea that he was concocting.

"Hell yes. What did you have in mind?" Gendry sounded eager to help.

"How are you with hot wiring and blowing shit up?"

"I can do the hot wiring but I am not good with explosions. I know a couple guys that are good with that stuff. I will give them a call and get back to you. I have a feeling that this is going to be fun." Gendry hung up the phone and so did Sandor.

Sandor turned over the ignition of the car and drove to his house. He went into his house and to his room and shut the door. His father was home for the one weekend of the month. He wanted to avoid his father at all cost. He was in the kind of mood that he would start something with the stupid old man, and something would happen.

In his room he went to his computer and pulled up some pictures of the last year. He found one that he wanted. It was a picture from last spring at Joffery's birthday party. He had been given a car for his birthday. It was a small fast convertible. Joffery loved that car, it was his baby. And every week Joffery took it to the detailers to get it cleaned. So the next time that Joffery went to get his baby detailed Sandor and his friends were going to do some detailing to that car of their own.

Bran

Sunday was usually a day that Catelyn tried and failed to drag the family off to church with her. She usually had to bribe them all to go with her. So when he woke up and it was almost ten thirty, he was a little worried because his mother had not been in there at seven to offer her weekly bribe of computer programs and the latest gadgets. He figured that his mom would have him there to be prayed over by the priest to insure that he didn't have a tumor.

Bran stretched and snatched his phone off the nightstand. There were no calls or messages, and then he noticed that he had somehow turned it to airplane mode sometime last night. He switched it off. His phone started lighting up like a Christmas tree. He was bombarded by quite a few numbers that he didn't know. He scrolled down the list of messages and they all asked the same thing, _What happened last night to Sansa?_

What had happened to Sansa indeed? He had not heard a thing last night. He had had another headache and ate one of the cookies that Jojen had given him as well as one of the pills that Baelish had given to him and he was knocked out.

He walked out if his room and the halls were deserted. He walked to Arya’s room, but found it empty. He stood there scratching his head. Arya was never one that was susceptible to their mother's bribes to go to church. Bran walked out of the bedroom and went to the kitchen. Mrs. Clark was standing by the kitchen sink looking out the window. There was no food made like most mornings. Then Bran noticed that the lady was crying.

"Mrs. Clark are you okay?" Bran asked in concern and fear for the old lady.

"I am fine dear. Just a little shook up, what with the events that happened last night." She sniffed and took a dish rag and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "What do you want for breakfast Bran? I can have something for you in a jiffy. How about some cinnamon rolls? That should hit the spot."

Mrs. Clark went about bustling around the kitchen preparing the ingredients that she needed to make the rolls. Bran went over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. He put a scoop of sugar and a scoop of hot coco mix in before adding some cream into the cup as well and gave it a brisk stir. He walked over to the stool and thought about what the texts and what Mrs. Clark had said to him.

"Mrs. Clark is Sansa alright?" He finally had the guts to ask.

"You don't know?" She asked.

"No I don't. I was sleeping and just woke up." He looked at the house keeper and tried to read her.

"She was attacked. That Joffery boy attacked her." Mrs. Clark's voice broke as she retrieved a baking sheet to put the rolls on.

Bran knew that Sansa was her favorite of all the Stark brood. When they were small and Sansa got sick with pneumonia and the other children had it as well Mrs. Clark was most concerned for Sansa. She was the one that she made special goodies for. The one that Mrs. Clark always took special care of. Now that special child had been hurt in a way that no one could help her heal from. So Bran sat there and tried to amuse the old lady with funny facts that he remembered. It worked. She was smiling by the time the rolls were in the oven. 

Rickon came into the kitchen, his hair all messed up from sleep and rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked at Bran and at Mrs. Clark then at the clock and smiled.

"I got to sleep in. Whoohoo! Mom didn't come make me go to that smelly church with her. This is the best day ever. I think I might even stay in my PJ's all day." Rickon said with glee with mischief in his voice.

"You will do no such thing boy. Once you have a roll you will march up stairs and wash your face and brush your teeth and get dressed. You are going with me to do the shopping." Mrs. Clark said matter of factly.

"Ugh. Do I have to?" Rickon whined.

"Yes young man."

They sat there in the kitchen as the smell of the baking cinnamon rolls filled the air. Bran and Mrs. Clark didn't say anything else about Sansa while Rickon was in the room. They pretended to be happy and not be worrying about the girl upstairs. Arya stumbled in as the rolls were pulled out of the oven. Arya made herself a cup of coffee and sat down on a stool and took a sip. Mrs. Clark placed the steaming rolls before the children and Bran looked at Arya and she nodded her head. They would talk after eating.

"These are super tasty Mrs. Clark. I don't think you have ever had one so good. Can I have another?" Rickon chirped, licking the sugar off his fingers.

"No dear. You will be having lunch in a little while and I do not want you to have it destroyed." Mrs. Clark said sternly smiling at the baby of the family.

Rickon took himself off to wash up. The three left in the kitchen all looked at one another then Bran and Mrs. Clark started bombarding Arya with questions.

"How is she?"

"Where is the poor dear?"

"When did it happen?"

"How bad is she hurt?"

"If you stop talking I will be able to answer you." Arya looked from one to the other. They stayed quiet so she started to answer them. "She is still sleeping, so I don't know how she is. Joffery assaulted her. She has some nasty bruises on her face and is emotionally messed up." Arya said simply.

"Oh the poor girl. If there is anything that she needs let me know would you Arya dear?" Mrs. Clark's eyes were shining again. Arya nodded her head that she would.

Bran touched his sister's hand and they nodded in unison towards the door.

"This was great. But my teeth are sticky and I need to brush them. Could you check on Sans in about an hour Mrs. Clark? I have some homework to do and I need the Brain here to help." Arya smiled a sweet smile and batted her eye lashes.

"You know that I will. What do you think that she will want when she wakes up? I think that she will want a cup of potato soup. Yes I will make her some." Mrs. Clark went about getting the soup ready for Sansa.

"Could I make a lunch order?" Arya asked.

"Sure dear. What do you have in mind?" Her back was turned to the children as she pulled out her soup pot.

"A bacon double cheese burger with extra onions and both cheddar and pepper jack cheese?" Arya was smiling again. "With Doritos on the side? Oh and an extra thick strawberry milkshake?"

"Not on your life. Not from me at least. Now if you want that you have to go somewhere else to get it." Mrs. Clark stood up straight with her hands on her hips and wiggled her finger in Arya’s face.

"I know where you can get that sis. We can do our homework there." Bran said as he put his plate in the sink.

"Okay. I will call Gendry to give us a ride. He is in on the project with me that we need your help on."

Gendry

_ Buzz Buzz Buzz. _

His phone was vibrating on the night stand by his head destroying the amazing dream that he had been having about him and Arya and what he wanted to do with her. He reached for the phone and looked at the screen. Arya was calling and then he looked at the time eleven am.

He grunted into the phone as his way to say hello.

"Hello the love of my life." A chipper voice said on the other end of the phone.

"What do you want?" He grunted.

"Want to come to lunch with Bran and me?" She asked in that sultry way that she had.

"You just want me for my car don't you?"

"Your car, and other parts of you too. But we also want to talk to you about a way to get back at Joffery." She said with a touch of malice in her voice.

He loved it when she used that sassy angry voice of hers.

"Me and the guys have that under control love. Don't worry your pretty head about it. But if you want to kick his ass I am sure that we can sell tickets for that. I will be there in half an hour to get you and Bran."

"Okay. I love you. Now hurry your stupid ass up and come get me."

"My ass is not stupid. It is sexy." He smiled as he hung up so he could have the last word.

_ Fine, your ass is sexy but you are still stupid. Now get a move on! –Arya _

Gendry smiled. Arya had to have the last word no matter what. But it is one of the reasons that he loved her. He didn't shower, just put on some of the Old Spice body spray stuff that Arya liked, brushed his teeth and put on some cleaner smelling clothes. He really needed to do some laundry soon. He sent a text to Sandor, Aegon and Myrcella before he left his house and said that he needed to see them. He got replies back asking where to meet from all of them.

He texted Arya and asked where they were going to be having lunch at. She said that Bran wanted to show her some 50's themed burger joint. He sent a mass text to the others to meet there. They all said that they would meet there in half an hour.

He got into the car and drove to the Stark house and went and knocked on the door. Bran answered it. They shook hands and Bran led him into the house.

"Thanks for helping my sisters last night. I knew that something was going to happen. I saw it happen months ago. I just didn't know when it would happen." Bran rambled.

"What do you mean you saw it happen?" Gendry was confused.

"Let's just say that I had a feeling that my sisters were going to get in to trouble on a dark rainy night. I just didn't know when it would happen, but I knew that it would happen." Bran looked Gendry in the eye and willed him to understand. "I should have told them what was going to happen."

Gendry didn't know what was going on with the kid before him. Arya had said something about him having his head checked this week so he figured that Brans brain was making him go crazy.

"Hey, there was nothing that you could have done kid. You know how your sisters are. They will do what they want." Gendry hoped that Bran would stop feeling guilty.

"You are so right."

"Gendry. You’re here!" Arya flung herself at Gendry and planted a hard kiss on his lips, then broke away.

"Hello sweetie." He smiled at her, his arms around her waist.

Ned struck his head out of his study and smiled when he saw Gendry.

"Hi Gendry. I hear that you and Arya have a project that you need Brans help on." He walked over to the little group standing by the door. "Can I have a quick word with you Gendry before you all go?"

Gendry let go of Arya and walked over to the study. Ned was leaning on the side of his desk that faced the door. He gave a sad smile when Gendry walked into the room.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping my daughters last night. And I want to thank you for all that you have done for Arya." Ned's voice was quiet, but his eyes said more then the words he was saying.

"It was nothing sir. I knew that I had to help Sansa. I had to do it for Arya. She means a lot to me sir." He felt foolish for saying this to her father.

"Thank you for caring for her so much. Now you better go. I know that you three have things to do." Ned smiled at him and Gendry walked out of the room and back to the two Starks waiting for him.

"What did my dad want?" Arya asked slipping her arm around his waist and dragging him out the door.

"Oh nothing. He just wanted to say hi." Gendry didn't want to tell her what Ned had said to him.

"Okay, be mysterious." Arya grumbled as she slid in to the front seat next to him while Bran got into the back seat. "Do you know where we are going? I really want a burger."

Gendry chuckled and looked at Bran who gave a shrug. He started the car and drove to the burger joint. Aegon’s bike was there in the lot and so was Sandor’s car.

The three of them piled out and walked in to the restaurant. They saw the others sitting at a booth waiting for them.

"What are they doing here?" Bran asked as he saw the group waiting for them.

"They are here to outline the plan for you." Gendry said with a grin on his face when he led them to the table.

They sat down at the table and they waited for the waitress to come take their order. Gendry smiled as Arya ordered a large meal for such a little person. He ordered the same thing. She had good taste.

"So what are you going to do to that dick head?" Arya demanded when the waitress had left.

"Why don't you tell them Sandor, it was your idea." Gendry said looking at the larger guy across from him.

"Aegon, Gendry and I are going to blow up his car." Sandor said with a smile on his face.

"You are serious? You are going to blow up his car?" Myrcella demanded.

"Yep." Aegon said with a smile and gave Myrcella a one armed hug.

"Oh that is perfect. Do you need someone to drive the getaway car?" Arya asked the three planners of the pay back.

"It would be nice to not have to worry about that. What do you say?" Gendry looked at Aegon and Sandor.

Sandor shrugged his shoulders and Aegon smiled widely. He gave her a thumbs up and that was that. They had a getaway driver.

"We need you Myrcella to tell us when Joffery takes his car to the detailers." Sandor said once they had decided to use Arya to be the driver.

"Sure I can do that. It is the least that I can do. This is for Sansa." Myrcella kept her voice low. Gendry knew that she probably felt conflicted. Even though Joffery was one of the worst examples of humanity he was still her brother.

"And Bran would you be able to find us the best way to um, blow up the car?" Gendry asked Bran.

"That would be easy. The way that I think would work best would be to put an accelerant in the interior of the car, then put a cloth or something that absorbs liquid into the gas tank. Then when that is done, light them up with a match or a lighter or something." Brans eyes were glazed over while he was thinking. "There are other ways that would work I think, but that one is the one that I came up with off the top of my head."

"Hey man that is a great plan. I can't wait to do it." Aegon rubbed his hands together in glee at the idea of what they were going to do.

"So do we need a code name of something? I don't think that we can walk around saying that we are going to blow up a car." Their food arrived and Arya eyed the waitress.

"Yeah. How about operation Get Even?" Bran offered.

"The Big Bang?" Myrcella put in.

"How about Lightning Blitz?" Arya mumbled around a large bite of food.

"I think that it should be something that is not too crazy, or flashy. How about screwdriver? Or pineapple." Gendry said dipping a fry in dipping sauce.

"I like pineapple. I vote for pineapple!" Arya said with enthusiasm.

"Yeah pineapple seems to be fine to me." Sandor said as he munched on his plain grilled cheese.

"So we are going to have a pineapple. This is going to be great." Gendry grinned and looked around the table at his coconspirators.

Jaqen

Arya was not an easy person to follow. The night before when they had been at the club he had watched her in the crowd. Then she had gone backstage and he had lost her. He then saw her in the wings when the band came back out. Then she had vanished. Jaqen had run out into the rain just in time to see Arya get into the Bulls car and drive away. Jaqen hopped into his car and had tore after her but was unable to find her again.

He had become agitated and went to Gendry’s house to wait for her. His assumption had been right. She had come to his house. She was so predictable. Jaqen had sat there and waited for her to leave the house. Arya and her sister and the boy got into his car and drove then to her home. He could not follow them in, so he gave up and went home to paint.

He stayed up all night painting and working and creating. They were all pictures of Arya. One portrait, one landscape with a pack of wolves and the rest of them were impressions of what she meant to him. When he was out of things to paint he showered and went to his car. He drove to the Stark house and waited. It was set to far back to see into, but he was going to wait to see if she left the house. He had watched Gendry go the house and get Arya and another boy, whom Jaqen assumed was one of her brothers.

He followed them to the 50's diner. The three of them walked in and Jaqen waited until they all were in before he started to follow. He had a baseball cap on and a sports type jacket. He hoped that he would not be recognized. He walked into the diner and sat in a booth that was in a far corner but made it so he could still see what Arya was doing. He saw what Arya had ordered and when the waitress came to get his order he requested the same. A double bacon cheese burger with cheese and onions with fries and a thick milkshake is what he was able to make out when she ordered.

He saw that there were three other people sitting at the table that they were sitting at. He knew that they were talking and there was a malicious glint of glee in her face while she talked with her friends. He wanted to so badly be a part of the group of people sitting at the table. Gendry had no right to be there with them enjoying Arya’s smiles and touches. It should have been him.

One thing was bothering him the entire time that he watched from his corner. The group kept repeating the word pineapple. What the hell was pineapple? He finished his meal, paid the tab and made it out of the diner before the group split up. He did not want to risk Arya noticing his car. He figured that he would need to get a new one soon. One that she had not seen before if he was going to be effective in his continued endeavor of keeping his eyes on Arya.

Myrcella

Myrcella was tip toeing around her house since the night before. She had been frightened of letting her mother and brother know that she was aware of what Joffery had done to Sansa. It was hard to keep the fact that she knew what had happened secret. Her mother had a knack of for discovering things. Myrcella knew that it was only a matter of time before she discovered that the cat was out of the bag about what Joffery had done.

Myrcella had overheard her mother on the phone trying to talk to Catelyn Stark that morning, trying to convince her that it was all just a misunderstanding between the children. That they had been stupid and foolish and it was not as serious as it appeared.

"Now Catelyn you should not just take your daughters word on this. There are two sides to every story. From what Joffery says she had some kind of fit. Joffery was just trying to stop her from hurting herself. No I do not believe that my son is capable of rape. I am shocked at that accusation. What you are saying is slanderous and if you and that girl continue to say that I will have to consult a lawyer. I guess we will not. Oh she has, has she? Well then I will be consulting my attorney after all. I hope that your family has a good one." Cerise had hung up and cursed.

Myrcella had left her mother's door before she was discovered. When Gendry had texted her and invited her to lunch and she was glad for the excuse to leave the house. She still had not seen her father since that glimpses of him when she had first gotten in last night. She wanted to speak with him so badly. She had tried his cell and the office and left messages for him on both phones

Aegon arrived at her house and she ran out the door before he turned off the engine of the motorbike. She threw her leg over the side and jammed the helmet on her head and off they went. She had been in such a hurry that she had not even talked to her mother and let her know that she was going out. They got to the diner and found Sandor already in a booth. She slid into the booth beside Sandor and Aegon slid in next to her.

Then Arya, Gendry and Bran walked into the diner. They sat beside on the other side of the booth. Bran was in the corner of the booth next to Arya and Gendry on the outside. They discussed the pineapple and agreed on what they would do as well as the how and it was all up to her to supply the when. When she was finished with her chicken Cesar salad she kicked Arya’s leg from under the table to get her attention from the googley eyes she was making at Gendry after they got the particulars discussed on plan pineapple.

"Ouch what was that for?" Arya demanded.

"I have to go to the rest room. You have to come with me. Now." Myrcella demanded back.

"Christ. Fine. Gendry move so we can go to the bathroom." Arya grumbled as she slid out of the booth. Aegon moved so Myrcella could get out on her side and she led Arya to the rest room.

"Okay do you have to pee of something? Cause I am not going to hold your hand while you do that." Arya said in that smart ass way of hers that Myrcella both hated and admired.

"My mother called yours today. She knows about the police report that Sansa made. She is going to try and make Sansa a liar in the eyes of the law. She has done it before. She has also paid off a number of others that my brother has done similar things to. She has prevented them from making a report to the cops many times and she was hoping to do the same with Sansa. Thank god your mother is made of stronger stuff then the others." Myrcella blabbered out as soon as the door was shut and Arya had stopped saying the stupid things that she usually said.

Arya stood there with her mouth opened and gaped at Myrcella.

"You mother is protecting him? Why would she be protecting him?" Arya was outraged at the idea of a woman, a mother protecting a rapist.

"Because he is her first born and she would do anything for him. She is even threatening to sue your family for slander."

"What about your father? When my dad called him last night Robert seemed angry. Is he alright?"

"I have not talked to him. Or seen him for that matter. I know that he would not tolerate what Joffery did. In the past father had always been drunk and unaware of what is going on." Myrcella wrung her hands.

"He might be with his sponsor. My father told him to call his sponsor." Arya put her hand on her friends shoulder to try and reassure her that Robert was alright where ever he was.

"I hope you are right. Now let's go back to the table." Myrcella lead the way out of the bathroom. They sat down with them and tried to not think about what they had just discussed.

"How was the bathroom?" Aegon asked when the girls to slid into the booths.

"It was great. Amazing pictures in there." Myrcella said smiling.

They sat around the table talking and joking. It was so nice for Myrcella to be care free and joke with her friends and not have to pretend that she was ignorant and stupid. She held Aegon’s hand under the table and they were just close together. She was so in love with Aegon. They had not been able to be alone together for so long that she had almost forgotten what he felt like next to her.

Her mind was so over loaded with lust and desire and need. She had started touching his leg from under the table, keeping her hand on his knee, and then moving it up his thigh. He was talking with Sandor and Gendry and Arya about the next few shows that they were going to do. When her hand slid up to his inner thigh he abruptly stopped talking, but her hand kept moving.

He cleared his throat and shot her a look. She knew that he wasn't sure if he wanted her to keep going or stop. She smiled at him and waggled her eyebrow at him.

"Hey um, we have to go. Myrcella has to get home." Aegon cleared this throat loudly.

"Sure. That's why you are leaving." Arya smirked.

"Shut up Arya. It's not like you wouldn't be doing this too if you could." Myrcella smirked.

"You are so right. Have a good time and remember what my mom said." Arya called after them as they walked out of the diner.

They made it out to the bikes laughing and giggling. Aegon slid on the bike first then Myrcella behind him. She started up with her hand where it was in the diner. He was growing under her hand. She smiled behind her helmet as she continued to play and taunt him.

"We are not going to do this now. I have to drive." Aegon took wrist so that he could concentrate on driving.

"Why did you stop me!" She pouted.

He kicked the bike on and they took off like a rocket. They both had a goal that they wanted to achieve. They were lucky that they had the same goal in mind. They went in all the back alley ways and avoided the main roads. They got to his house and as soon as the bike stopped they ran into the house with their helmets still on.

"Excuse me boy, what is the meaning of this?" A gruff voice demanded as they ran in.

"Sorry Sir. In a bit of a hurry." Aegon said as they rushed past the man.

Myrcella tried to see who he was but Aegon was pulling him along to fast that everything was a blur. They were running full out when they hit his bedroom. Aegon yanked the helmet off his head and grabbed Myrcella and tenderly took off the helmet. He smiled at her and she put her fingers on his face.

"I missed you." She whispered.

"I missed you too." Aegon kissed her lips and she rose up on her toes to make it easier for him to reach.

"I think that you should shut the door." She gasped as she pulled away.

"Oh yeah I forgot." Aegon blushed and he went and shut the door. "There. Now can I get back to making out with my girlfriend?" He walked back to where she was and took her in his arms.

They stood in the middle of his room kissing and swaying together. They started to take their outer clothing off. They had too many layers on for their liking. Myrcella started to walk him to the bed. His back was to it so he could not see where they were going. She was pushing him. He was just fine letting her take charge. They continued to kiss as she walked them to the bed and then pushed him down on top of it.

"Take off your shirt now." Myrcellas voice was harsh and demanding as she yanked at Aegon’s tee shirt.

Aegon took his shirt off and Myrcella started to kiss his neck and made her way down his chest along to his stomach and then went back up to his chest and collarbone and neck. Her hands trailed on his chest and her finger nails scratched along it in small circles. She finally moved back to his mouth for more kissing. Aegon let his hands wander all over her while she sat on top of him and she kissed him. They were under her shirt and trailed lightly along the outside of her lace bra.

"Myrcella are you thinking about what I am thinking about?" His voice was shaky with lust.

"Um, I think so." Her hand snaked out and she grabbed his cock. It was bulging right out of his pants almost. She tickled the outline of it through the denim of his jeans and he shuddered.

"Yeah we both have the same idea." Aegon said with his eyes closed and his head tossed back.

"Good" Myrcella unsnapped his pants and she unzipped them.

He pushed his hips off the bed with her still on him and she gasped in surprise. He grinned at her and wriggled out of his pants until he was just in his boxers. She pulled him up to a sitting position and locked her mouth with his and let their tongue play together. His hand pulled her shirt off and he started to attack the newly exposed skin. Kissing his way down her body to let her know what she had done to him. He held her in place while he trailed his love and admiration on her body.

He surprised her by being able to unclasp her bra with one hand. He grinned at her shocked reaction and slid her arms out if the straps. Her breasts were now exposed and he reached for them still in admiration and amazement that Myrcella allowed him to see her and be with her.

"You are beautiful." He said as he glided his hands over the skin of her chest.

Her head was thrown back and her eyes were closed. She stood and slipped out of her pants and underwear and was completely naked before him. She slid back onto Aegon’s lap and took his penis into her hand and started to stroke it to get him ready for more than just touching. They started kissing again and petting one another. He was frustrated that he still had his boxers on and slid them off so they could have more contact between the two of them.

"I want to do something different." Myrcellas voice was husky and she took him into her hand and positioned herself to receive him.

"I am up for anything, obviously." Aegon laughed looking down the length of his body.

Myrcella giggled and pushed herself onto him. They both groaned as he entered her. Her body shuddered as she took the complete length of him. She sat on top of him unmoving. One of his hands was on her hip and the other was massaging her breasts. She started to move on top of him, pulling him deeper and deeper into her. She danced on top of him and he watched her move. Soon they were both panting and breathing hard. Myrcella had her eyes shut tight trying to fight off the building pressure that she felt to make the moment last longer. Then she felt Aegon tense under her and she knew that it was time for her to let go as well. She came screaming and gasping on top of him while he shuddered and panted under her.

She collapsed on top of him, completely satisfied. She snuggled her nose into his neck and he threw his arms around her. They stayed that way for five minutes until they noticed that her phone ringing. She slithered off him and scrambled to her pants on the floor.

"Oh shit. It's my mom and she has called nine times. I have to get home." She looked at him and saw the pout on his face. "Oh fuck it. To hell with her." She jumped onto the bed next to him and pulled the blankets over the both of them for a well-deserved snuggle.


	25. The Strength Is In The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a Stark only chapter and I just want to say the chapter title comes from my dead friend NewGirl08's story of the same title. She is kind enough to let me help her on that story and borrow her title for this chapter. Hope you all like it!

Sansa

Her parents had decided to keep her home from school on Monday after the talk that Catelyn had with Cersie. The woman was deranged but she had power. Sansa had told her parents that she was self-conscious about the bruises on her face anyway. She was so pleased that she was going to be home today with Mrs. Clark. She had woken up on Sunday at around one in the afternoon to see a mop of white hair looking around her door frame.

The cook/housekeepers eyes lit up when she saw Sansa awake. Sansa sat up when Mrs. Clark pushed her way in with a tray of food. There was a large bowl of homemade potato soup that always cheered her up and homemade bread that Sansa knew had dill and Swiss cheese baked inside it slathered with cream cheese on top.

"How did you know I was thinking of that?" Sansa had asked as the food was sat down beside her on the bed.

Mrs. Clark sat beside her and smiled. "I know what you like when you don't feel good. Chicken soup and sour dough bread when you are sick and potato soup with dill and Swiss bread when you are hurt."

"Am I that predictable?"

"No dear. I just happen to have been taking care of you your whole life. I remember patterns is all. Now you eat up the soup. I will let your parents know that you are awake." Mrs. Clark patted Sansa’s leg as she walked out of the room and walked out the door.

She attacked the food as if she had not eaten in days. Then she had just sat there waiting in her room until either her mom or dad came to talk to her. She did not have to long to wait. Her mom came in and just looked at her.

"I am so sorry my darling. I truly am." Catelyn sat down beside her and took her good hand into hers.

"It was not your fault mom. It was only Jofferys fault that this happened." Sansa said with unveiled contempt in her voice. It was close to hatred.

"When did you become so smart? Every day you amaze me. I have some news. The detective called and talked to your father. He said that the DA would be pressing charges for you. That means that Joffery will be arrested. But this means that you might have to go in front of a judge and tell what happened to you again." Catelyn looked at her daughter to make sure she was set on doing this.

"I understand mom. He needs to be stopped, or else he will continue to do this to others. I have to stand up and say that Joffery Baratheon attacked me and hurt me. I have to do it for me and for all the others that he has done this to that have been to afraid to speak out." A steely determination entered Sansa’s eyes as she talked.

"I am proud of you sweet heart. Maybe Arya is not the only one that takes after your aunt Lyanna." Catelyn stroked the unburied side of Sansa's face and gave her a kiss on the forehead. She stood up and walked to the door. "Oh and tomorrow you don't have to go to school. You do not need to go into that lions den."

So Monday found Sansa in bed getting fake angry looks from Bran and Arya when they came in to see if she was doing alright. She shooed them out before she had to tell them that she was, which was a lie, but one that she had been telling her family all day yesterday.

She just relaxed all day. She was in her jammies and watched Doctor Who and Greys Anatomy. She did not open a textbook, write a single line of homework or look at her phone, Facebook or e-mail. For the first time in her life she had not brushed her hair or put makeup on, or even put a bra for that matter. She just vegged on the couch and hung out with Mrs. Clark all day.

But as she noticed that the school day was drawing to an end she could not help herself and looked at her phone. Most of her cheer squad had called and texted and FB messaged her. She ignored most of them until she got to ones from Margaery.

_Sans where are you? Joffery said that you two had a misunderstanding this weekend and I wanted to make sure you were okay. Let me know what's going on. –Margaery_

_Okay Sansa WTF is going on? Joffery just got escorted out of school by two detectives. What the hell? ARE YOU OKAY? Call me ASAP! –Margaery_

_Sandor said that you were okay now. What the fuck is going on? Why are you not talking? All I can think of is that you are in the hospital dying right now. Can you please please call me? I just want to make sure that you are alright. I am getting worried. –Margaery_

Sansa could not believe that the police had taken him into custody at school. She was nervous about what this all meant for her. She sat on the couch and looked at her phone again. Arya had left her a message around lunch time.

_You are not going to believe this. Detective Bronn and another one, Detective Yoren, came into the school and hauled Jofferys ass out. He was in fucking hand cuffs and it was in front of the whole school at lunch! It was so amazing! I got pictures of it for you and when I get home I will show them to you. Just wanted to share the good news. Love you sis. –Arya_

Sansa smiled at how enthusiastic Arya was about Joffery getting arrested. Trust her sister to be over the moon on this whole thing. The name that she wanted to see finally was there. Sandor had texted her.

_Hey I have your homework. If you want I can bring it to you after school today. Let me know. Oh and Joffery was arrested. That should make your day. No one knows what happened, so you are safe. –Sandor_

She smiled and tapped the reply for Sandors message.

_If you want to come to my house with my work I am here. I will let Mrs. Clark know that you are coming by. Think you for getting my school work for me. –Sansa_

_Okay. I will be there in half an hour. –Sandor_

Sansa rushed into the kitchen to alert Mrs. Clark that Sandor was on his way over and going to drop off her school work. Then she ran upstairs to put on a bra, brush her hair and pull on a pair of jeans. She was red in the face and breathing slightly hard. She didn't want to just be sitting there when Sandor showed up, so put Gone With The Wind on the TV and flung herself on the bed with a copy of one of her favorite fantasy books.

She knew that since fiction and fantasy books were not something most people would think of her for loving, but she did. She had devoured all of Anne McCaffrey’s works. When she was little she pretended to be a dragon rider of Peron. Or that she was a wizard on some occasions. But her favorite make believe game was being a trapped princess who escaped her life under lock and key to have adventures in space. She had been caught playing pretend once when she was ten by the girls in her class and they had made fun of her for it so she stopped and got popular so they would never laugh at her again. But her love of other worlds and made up stories continued to thrive, just in secret.

There was a knock on the door and she called out for whoever was knocking to enter. Sandor walked in and looked around the room. He had never been there before and he was taking it all in.

"Your walls are very red." He said looking around. "It looks like someone slaughtered an animal all over the place."

"They are not blood red, its fire cherry red." She said defensively sitting up on her bed. "Come on and find a place to sit."

Sandor walked into her room taking note of the movie and her book.

"What are you reading now?" He nodded to the book opened on her bed.

"It's called Rhapsody. I love this book. It's another of my comfort things." She smiled as she looked at the cover of the tattered paper back. He looked at her to continue explaining. “It’s a love story of sorts. See the main character meets her true love but he is taken away from her. Horrible things happen to her, but she never lets them get her down. She becomes a healer, a Singer, a warrior and a leader of people against all odds. But she can be sort of naive.”

"Sounds like a girl I know. Someone who is amazing but doesn’t realize it herself.” He smiled at her and she blushed, knowing he was talking about her. “And I am guessing that the movie is a comfort thing as well?"

"Yes. I love Scarlet and Rhett. Another tragic love story."

"You need to be kissed and often and by someone who knows how." Sandor said in a dead on impression of Rhett Butter.

Sansa sat there and just looked at Sandor with her mouth opened.

"My mom used to watch this movie a lot when my dad was away on business. I remember that line from when I was a kid. The only other one that remember is the one about not giving a damn." He looked at the TV as Scarlet saw Rhett for the first time.

"Well I can see that this movie left an impact on you. You and Rhett seem to have a lot in common come to think about it." Sansa cocked her head looking at him.

Then she turned her bruised face to him. She heard him suck in her breath. They had not looked that bad to her in the mirror today. They were not all black and blue and purple, they were green and yellow as well showing that they were healing. She was hurt by his reaction. Did he think she was ugly now? He had his own scars, but she saw past them. They were a part of Sandor and she loved how he looked. It didn’t matter to her that he wasn’t perfect, it was a part of him.

"You said that you had my homework." She sat up all the way and swung her feet to the floor. She wanted to look at anything but his face right then.

"Yeah I have it here in my bag." He held it up and showed it to her. He also had a goofy smile on his face that was contagious.

"Are you going to give it to me?" She smiled and walked over to him to take the bag away from him when he shook his head no.

Once she stood there in front of him she looked into his eyes. He lifted his hand tentatively to touched the hurt side of her face. She closed her eyes at the feel of his finger tips on her skin. They were soft and soothing. They started on her cheek bone and trailed down her cheek to her lip where there was a small cut, then over to her jaw bone. He then let his fingers slide down her neck. Sansa shivered and she didn't want him to stop.

"You are still so beautiful," he whispered.

She opened her eyes then and put her hand on his scared cheek. He didn’t want perfection after all. He was not disgusted with her, just what had happened. In that moment she knew she had real, deep feelings for the man before her. They weren’t in her mind, they were real.

"So are you." Then she brought her lips to his in a soft kiss that she hoped showed him that she meant what she had said.

It was soft and slow and tender. It was everything that she needed, to know that she could heal and come back from what had happened. There was a knock at her door and she sprang away before Arya came springing into the room. She looked at her sister, saw Sandor and her eyes grew large.

"I can come back." Arya stammered as she shut the door behind her.

Sansa and Sandor just looked at each other and smiled.

"See I told you. You do need to be kissed often by someone who knows how to do it." He said in a deep husky voice.

"I thought that you were just quoting a movie." She smiled at him.

"I was, but I was also telling the truth." He opened his book bag and took her work out. "Here is your work and the notes I took. You can keep them, I have a copy of them for myself." Sandor stood up and walked to the door.

"Thank you so much Sandor." She called after him.

"You are welcome. Are you going to be at school tomorrow?"

"I think so. I just hope that I can find something that will cover up my bruises." She said as she walked him to the door to her room.

"You don't need to. If people look then they look. You get used to it." He smiled at her and left her room.

Sansa sat down heavy on the bed. She felt like a mad women with a secret. She was the princess who had faced the beast and Sandoz was the prince she had always imagined she would some day meet. She spent the rest of the day reading Rhapsody and watching her movie. It had been a very good day, despite everything.

Arya

Today had been a great day. She had finished her painting of the sunset from her date with Gendry that she had started Friday. Jaqen had been friendly and they had chatted like they were buddies. She had a great time in her poetry writing class helping Beric by collaborating on a song so he would stop stealing from her. Then math had been fun. There had been a sub in her math class so they did a work sheet that was a color by number thing which she had enjoyed. The shop was perfect as well. She and Gendry had torn apart Jon's car and had started to put it back together.

But the best part, the very best part of the day had happened at lunch. She was sitting in the cafeteria with the rest of her group plus Sandor talking about the pineapple. The guys were thinking of changing the time. They wanted to do it at night so they could wear all black and act like ninjas. She and Myrcella and Hot Pie thought that was a stupid idea. The plan that they had was great. She lobbied for that plan to happen as is, but in the end she was out voted. So now they had to wait till he went out at night in the next few weeks in order to steal the car, drive it away from other cars and then blow it to hell.

They were so involved with their talks that she had not noticed the principle enter the room with two tall hulking figures behind him. They walked over to the table that the jocks occupied. The room fell silent and all eyes were fixed on what was going on there.

"Joffery, these men here want to talk to you. Can you come with them please?" The short, balding principle said, wiping the sweat off his face.

"What is this?" Jofferys voice was high pitched and angry.

"You know what this is about." Arya recognized Detective Bronn's voice.

"We just have some questions to ask you." The other detective said.

"I want to know your names so my parents know who to contact and report for this. I have nothing to say to you. Now go away. I have to finish my vegetables." Jofferys spat out at the two cops.

"I am Detective Bronn and this is my partner Detective Yoren. Now that we have that out of the way will you please follow us? If you continue to refuse I will use the cuffs and we will take you out of this school in them." Bronn threatened.

"You wouldn't dare." Joffery sneered.

All eyes were glued on the scene before them. Jeffrey turned his back on them and he thought that was the end of it. He was to stupid to realize his mother had not fixed the ‘problem’ for him this time. Sansa was not going to cave. He didn’t know it yet but Joffery was going to get taken out by those cops one way or the other.

Arya watched in bliss as Detective Yoren got fed up with Jofferys antics, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt hauling him up to his feet and slapped the cuffs on his wrists. Arya whipped out her phone and shot off some pictures for Sansa.

"I dared you, you little spoiled shit. Now are you going to walk out on your own, or am I going to have to drag your sorry ass out to my car?" Yoren asked in a loud enough whisper for everyone to hear.

"I can walk." And with that Joffery started walking to the exit and kept his eyes locked ahead so he would not have to meet anyone's eyes looking at him.

As soon as the cops and Joffery were out of the room the cafeteria erupted into chaos. Arya and her table just sat there and looked at one another. Then she broke out and started clapping. The people around her looked as if she had gone crazy but the guys looked just as pleased as she was. Myrcella on the other hand was pale and shaking. Arya stopped clapping and reached for her best friends hand and gave it a squeeze.

"It is alright Myrcella it truly is." Arya tried to sound reassuring, and not happy, but there was no use to it.

"About this, about Sansa, it is better. But at home this just made things worse. My dad finally came home last night. He had my uncle Tyrion with him and they were talking about having the papers drawn up to divorce my mother." Myrcella whispered to Arya.

"Your mother's brother?" Arya was confused. "He is your father's lawyer? That sounds like a conflict of interests there."

"He has no love for my mother. He and my father have always gotten on good. Uncle Tyrion would love to stick my mom into the poor house and make sure that she walks away with nothing. I know that dad is not going to lift a finger to help Joffery. He knows what happened with Sansa. But mother is not going to let this go without a fight. I am worried Arya, I really am." Myrcella was still pale and shaking as she talked about what her life at home had become for her.

"I wish that there was a way that you could come live with us. You and Tommen. My parents take in kids all the time!" Arya tried to joke. "I have been telling them for years that they need to stop adopting boys and get some more girls to even things out."

Arya watched Myrcella smile and they laughed softly together. The rest of the day passed uneventfully. The only thing that people wanted to talk about was Joffery. They also wanted to know where Sansa was. Arya wanted to yell that Joffery had raped her sister and that all the people that were saying they were outraged that he was taken by the cops and they were fucking idiots.

Arya had hung around with Gendry for a little while after school before having him drop her off when he went to work with the band. He was nervous because they were going to decide on the name of the band, finally.

"Well I am glad that you will have a name and we can stop calling yourself "the band". That is not a good name for you guys." Arya had laughed when he had told her about their dilemma.

"There was a group called The Band. My mom has some of the records. They were not too bad. But our music is a little different."

"You are a smart ass, do you know that?" She attacked him with kisses as they sat in the parking lot of the school.

"Okay, we have to stop this or I won't be going to the meeting. I really want to stay with you and do this and much more, but I can't. I am so sorry. I will make it up to you." Gendry kissed her quickly then turned over the ignition of his car, put it in gear and drove to the Stark house.

"I love you." She said as they pulled up to her house.

"I love you to. Now you have to get out before I steal you." He kissed her one more time before she slid out of the car and skipped into the house.

Arya ran up the stairs to Sansas room to show her the pictures that she had taken and stopped long enough to knock on the door. When she opened it she had found Sandor sitting at Sansas desk with Sansa standing between his knees. Arya stood there looking from one to the other then smiled.

"I'll come back." Then she shut the door and ran to her room.

She couldn't stop the giggles from bubbling up and then they turned into full blown laughter. She texted Gendry about what she had interrupted.

_About damn time. They are made for one another. I would say that they are almost as perfect for each other as you are for me. –Gendry._

_When did you become a romantic? –Arya_

_When I was bitten by the bug. The Love Bug! –Gendry_

_You are stupid. Go back to the guys. I don't want Beric to hurt me for distracting you. Text me when you are done. I love you. –Arya_

_Okay boss lady. I love you too. –Gendry_

Arya sat on her bed waiting for her sister to come to her room and tell her that what she saw was nothing. And sure enough fifteen minutes later Sansa was barging into her room doing just that.

"We weren't doing anything!"

"Sure you weren't. Just like I don't do anything with Gendry." Arya smiled at Sansa who flung herself onto her bed.

"I like him Arya. I really do. We have so much in common. And he is one of the most attractive guys that I have ever met. I mean I have seen him without a shirt on and he doesn't just have a six pack he has an eight pack." Sansas eyes were popping out of her head and glazed over at the same time.

"Well why don't you tell him that you like him? I know that now probably is not the best time to be in a relationship, and I think Sandor would be the first person to tell you that. But you should tell him how you feel." Arya shrugged.

"So changing the subject, how close have you and Gendry come to you know, it?"

Arya blushed and started to trace the pattern on her purple bed spread.

"We sort of did it already. Last Thursday. It was perfect and romantic and magical. But really cold. We were outside." Arya smiled at the memory.

"I cannot believe that my little sister has had sex before me!" Sansa gave her a mock angry face.

"I didn't mean to. I just fell in love. And after mom pretty much said to go and do it I figured that there was no reason not to." She smiled a big love sick smile at her sister and then realized she shouldn't be gushing on about her sex life.

"Mom gave you the "Make Sure He Pleasures to YOU" talk? Was it not the worst thing in your life?" Sansa giggles and Arya knew it might be okay to talk about all this.

"Oh god yes. I wanted to die." The sisters laughed at their mom and her tips for their sex lives.

Bran knocked on the door and stuck his head in and smiled to see them getting along. Arya had to admit that it was really nice to have her sister back, to have Sansa as a real sister since they were kids and they had stopped playing Dragon Riders of Pern together. She was just sad that it took Sansa getting attacked to come together again.

"Hey Sansa, could I borrow you? I think I have something that might be able to cover the bruises. It is my stage makeup kit. And I have someone here that thinks she might be able to help you with it." Bran kept smiling as he said it. Arya knew it was going to be tough for Sansa and Bran was taking care of her.

"As in a person? You want me to see a person looking like this?" Sansa looked at her sister and her brother with naked fear in her eyes.

"Who is it Bran?" Arya asked. She was not going to let anyone bully her sister.

"Meera. She will be able to help you. I know that you are the queen of makeup but she does stage makeup. They have to cover things up all the time and I figured that she could help you." Bran looked at Sansa trying to will her to do the makeup thing.

"Fine. I will go with you and let your friend show me some new things." Sansa jumped off the bed and went to Aryas door. "We are so not done with our talk. I want to know everything."

Arya rolled her eyes and flipped onto her back and looked at the ceiling. Maybe she should redecorate her room. She still loved purple but she was making a new love of the color blue. And it was probably time to get the tips of her hair back to her normal color. She would do that tomorrow and go shopping for a new bedspread.

When she was

Bran

When Bran had gotten to school that morning he headed straight to Meeras class instead of his own. He found her talking with a group of her classmates. He motioned for her to come over to him and she excused herself from her friends.

"What is it? You look like death." Meera could not hide the concern in her voice.

"It came true. The vision of Arya rescuing Sansa. It happened on Saturday night. Joffery attacked Sansa. I am freaking out now. The one that I have been having with the stranger holding a gun and feeling the rage has me so scared that I don't know what to do." Bran was shaking as he talked.

"We can figure out what this next one means and when it is Bran. We can do something this time. Nothing will happen to Arya." The look in Meeras eye was enough to calm Bran down and go on with his day.

Things ran smoothly after his chat with Meera. They told Jojen about what happened to Sansa and how Arya saved her at lunch and they were part of the crowd watching Joffery get taken in by the cops. After school Bran decided to not go for his usual run. His mind was on the phone call from the doctor. He knew that there was something going on in his head. He knew that the run wouldn't calm the anxiety that he felt over the results so he headed to the theater to watch the rehearsal with Jojen as he waited for his sister.

"Hey do you think that the stage makeup will cover up bruises?" Bran asked some of the actors who were testing out different looks.

"Sure. I mean that it should. Why?" One of the girls asked him.

"On no reason. I just wanted to know." Bran left the back stage area so he wouldn't have to answer questions.

He found Meera in the costume room looking for something for her character to wear. Bran decided to play a joke on her and snuck into the rack and waited for her to come to the area that he was hiding in. When she opened the rack Bran burst out making her scream at the top of her lungs. Bran doubled over with laughter.

"You stupid little shit you! What the hell were you thinking! I could have had a heart attack!" She shrieked at him, whapping him on the shoulder with a parasol that she had just picked up.

"Watch where you are swinging that thing! It was only a joke. Meera could you come back to my house and bring your stage makeup? I think that it would work to cover Sansas bruises better then what she has at home."

"I will, but not for you, for her. After that stunt that you just pulled be glad that I did have not speared you with this parasol." Meera poked him in the rib with the pointy end. "We can go now. We are not going out on stage today. So let's get Jojen and head out."

The three friends piled into the old car and rattled over to the Stark house. Bran told his friends to go on up to his room while he went and found them some food in the kitchen to snack on. Bran popped some popcorn and went up to his room.

Jojen was on his computer and Meera was looking in her kit to make sure that all the things she wanted to work on Sansa was with her.

"I have snacks." He placed the bowl next to Jojen and then went back out the door to get Sansa.

She took some convincing but she came. He left her in the bathroom and Meera went in after her with her makeup. Bran left the girls to do their thing. Jojen had music playing when he came into the room.

"Your bother Robb is instant messaging you. What do you want to say?" Jojen was shoving handfuls of popped corn into his mouth.

"Move over. Let me talk to him." Bran pushed him out of the way.

_Hey have you gotten that phone call yet? And how is Sansa?_

_She is okay and no I haven't heard anything yet. How did you know about Sansa?_

_Are you serious? Dad told me. He wanted me to know what was going on. I told the others. And mom told me about you._

_Well Joffery was arrested. So there is that. It makes us all happy here. I still don't know about the results yet._

_That dickface got what he deserves. I hope that he becomes someone's bitch while he is in the slammer. I should have beaten the snot out of that little shit when we were there at Christmas._

_That wouldn't have made a difference. Hey I have to go do my homework. I will let you know when I hear something._

_Okay. Bye Bran._

_Talk to you later Robb._

Bran exited off the chat box. Then looked at Jojen and he was looking at him. He had not told his friends about the brain scan or the possibility that he could have a brain tumor. Bran looked away and pretended to be looking at the different computer disks on the shelf.

"What is going on Bran?" Jojen asked in a small voice.

"It is nothing. I just had a brain scan and some abnormal blood work. I get the results back today. It is nothing." Bran hoped that he was sounding convincing enough for Jojen to drop the subject.

"You sure that there is nothing going on?" There was true concern in his friends' voice and he felt bad that he was not being honest with him. But Bran did not see the point of worrying his friends when it could be nothing.

"Yeah I am sure. Have you seen this game before?" Bran threw Jojen a disk to distract him. "Tommen gave the game to Rickin. A Song Of Ice and Fire, its a bitch. I love it and hate it at the same time."

"Haven't heard of it, but if its as good as you say I will love it, for sure." Jojen said laughing.

They soon got to talking about computer and video games they liked and played. It was half an hour later when Meera walked into the room to announce that Sansa was all done. Bran walked out to see his sister standing in the hall talking to their mother. All the bruises were gone. Her face was as perfect as always.

"Wow Sans. They are gone." Bran said when he saw her.

"Meera is a magician. She truly is." Sansa smiled at Meera standing beside Bran.

"Thank you for helping Sansa Meera. I know that she was uncomfortable having her face looking like it does." Catelyn looked at her and smiled at the girl as well.

"You are welcome." Meera said looking down at her feet.

"Bran I have to talk to you. Could you come with me to my room please?" Catelyn asked.

Bran knew what this was about. The call had come in and he was getting the news. He nodded his head and followed his mother and his friends watched as he walked away. The two Reeds were looking at one another communicating in the wordless way that they do.

"Bran I have the news. Dr. Baelish said that there was something on the scan. Two growths in your brain. I did not understand what he was talking about completely, but he did say that one of them was near your eyes causing the pressure that you feel and the other is in the area of the middle of your brain." Catelyn's eyes were watery and welling as she spoke.

"Is it cancer or just growths?" Bran asked.

"I do not know dear. We have to go in and have another appointment." Catelyn walked to him and wrapped her arms around her son. "I am sorry dear. I feel like it is my fault. If I had done things differently you might not have had this happening to you."

"It is not your fault mom. You did nothing to cause this. It just happened." Bran found himself comforting his mother when he was the one that just found out that there were two growths in his brain.

She finally subsided her sobbing and he left her in her room and he walked out to his room and his friends were still there. Joke was on his computer and playing ASOIAF. Meera was watching over her brothers shoulder. She was cheering him on as he leveled up. When he came into the room he sat down on the bed. Meera looked at him and went and sat down beside him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Meera asked.

"Nothing. I mean, its nothing. Why do you ask?" He wanted to know what she had picked up on.

"Because you have a white looking face. And you are shaking. What's wrong Bran." She gave him a deep penetrating look and it made him want to tell her everything.

Eddard

Ned had been in the office with Robert when they both got calls from the police telling them that Joffery had been arrested. Ned had felt relief but was worried for his friend. He had been with his sponsor all weekend taking care of his sobriety. He was proud of Robert for not going back to the bottle. But he was still concerned that a relapse might be on the horizon. After the call from the cops he walked into Roberts's office to see him looking at the L.A. skyline.

"Robert? Have you heard the news? They took Joffery down to the station." Ned walked into the office and sat down in a chair across from the desk.

"Yeah they told me. They said that I could come down to sit in on the questioning and send him legal representation. I told them that I was not able to at the time and to call his mother. I am done with that boy Ned. Him and that mother of his. If Cersie had not had Tommen and Myrcella I would have divorced her long ago. I know that children need a mother, but she is a witch of a woman."

"I tried to tell you long ago. If I remember I warned you when you started dating her." Ned said.

"I know. But what choice did I have? She got knocked up and her father all but forced us to get married. Then she went and had a mischarge three weeks into the wedding and I was stuck with her. If I had not had to rely on her father's money to keep this place afloat all these years I would have been with someone who makes me happy." Roberts's voice was flat with anger boiling below the surface.

"You can change it now Robert." Ned was saying something he had told him a dozen times since they had moved down south. Hr had been trying to get Robert to do the best thing for him and his children since they moved there.

"Oh I will. I have already hired a divorce lawyer. Tyrion agreed to help me screw Cersie over. He was more then eager to help me make sure that she got nothing from this farce of a marriage. She can have Joffery, he is her creation, but the other two I will fight for. I do not want her to mess them up the way that she did Joffery." Robert said.

"Good for you Robert. So you are not going to help Joffery out of this?" Ned asked.

"No. After what he did to Sansa and I have a feeling that he has done this to others I am not going to lift a finger to help him. I hope that they throw the book at him." Robert was shaking with anger.

"I feel the same way. So does this mean that he is not going to be the one taking over for you when you retire?" Ned was joking.

"Hell no. I would rather give this company over to a baboon. It would really piss Joffery off if Myrcella was the one that I handed this over to. She is the smart one in the family." Ned noted the fatherly pride in Roberts's eye when he spoke about Myrcella.

"She is a good girl. You could not ask for a better daughter Robert." Ned said in complete understanding with his friend.

Their conversation was interrupted by the phone. Robert picked it up and Ned could hear Cersie yelling on the other end of the phone. Roberts face was getting redder and redder. He looked like he wanted to strangle his wife.

"No. You lessen here woman. That boy is going to stay put in the lock up. He did do it you stupid bitch! Yes I would take the word of Sansa over Joffery. Why? Because she is more trustworthy. No, I will not be going down there or sending a lawyer. You organize it. I have no desire to help him, I told you that already. Fine!" Robert slammed the phone down on the cradle and sat there looking out into space. "Stupid fucking woman!" He roared.

"I take it Cersie knows?" Ned already knew the answer but felt the need to ask anyway.

"Yes she fucking knows! She is demanding that I go down there and pull him out of there. She is so thick and stupid. I will do nothing to help him out." Robert sat back in his chair and looked at Ned. "I wish that things would have worked out different when we were young Ned. My life would have been so much better."

Ned knew that Robert was talking about. Robert had dated Lyanna for one summer and Robert had fallen in love with her, but she had felt that she was to young to settle down when Robert asked her to marry him. His friend had been devastated by her refusal. Then Lyanna had gone off to college and had a one night stand and ended up pregnant. Robert had still wanted to marry her, but she still said no. Her death had sunk Robert into a depression that lead him right into Cersie's arms and into the situation that he found himself in at the moment.

"If there was a way that we could turn back the hands of time I would do it for you my friend. I would." Ned patted Roberts shoulder and walked over to his office.

There was a message light blinking on his cell when he walked into the office. He picked it up and lessened to the message. It was from Dr. Baelish calling because he had been unable to get ahold of Catelyn and wanted to let him know that there were some abnormalities on Brans brain scan. There were two growths in his brain. They were most likely tumors. Ned's heart sank to a whole new level.

Ned's life was falling out of his control. His daughter was attacked, his best friends son was the culprit of the attack. And now his son had two tumors in his head. He sat there at his desk looking at his phone thinking that maybe Catelyn was right, maybe they would be better off back home. The South was toxic. But he could not do that to the family again. He would sit out this arrangement with Robert. He would wait until the end of the school year before moving his family back to their home. They needed the North, all of the Starks. It was home and he knew that they all needed home more then ever.

He sat and tried to do some work. He worked on the budget and decided it was time to call the police and see what they had gotten out of Joffrey.

"Detective Bronn speaking. What can I do for you Mr. Stark?"

"I just wanted to ask what the progress was concerning my daughters case." He asked in a calm voice.

"Well this little shit isn't budging. He said that it was all a joke. My partner is in there with him. His mother is here and she is a piece of work. She is being detained in a holding cell. The bitch scratched me up when I told her she couldn't see her son." Bronn gave a laugh. "If this is the mother no wonder her kid is so messed up."

"Are you holding her for assault?" Ned asked.

"I would if I could. But her high powered attorney is here. She will be out and soon that piece of shit will be too. But the ADA will be pressing charges for sure. And we have reports that he has done this before. He is going away." Bronn sounded happy he was getting the results.

"Good. Is there any way I could get an order of protection for my daughter?" Ned asked. He knew Joffeey would go out on bail and needed to make sure he stayed away from Sansa.

"You have to file it with the courts, but I don't think it will be difficult to get one. I can start the paper work for you to get it in order for you sir."

"Thank you detective. I'm sure you have work to get back to. Thanks so much for the update." Ned said.

"No problem sir. This job is tough, but I love putting away shit from hurting people." Bronn said as he hung up the phone.

Next he was going to call the doctor. He did not want to make this call. He hated Pyter Bailish and always had. But he wanted to know more about his sons condition. He called and the receptionist picked up.

"Sunnyside Clinic. How can I help you?" The perky girl asked.

"Yes this is Eddard Stark. I am calling for Dr. Bealish. This matter is concerning my son. It is imperative I speak with him immediately." Ned said.

"Hold for a moment. Let me connect you." She said as she switched his call to the doctors line.

He waited for the doctor to answer the line. After five minutes the line was picked up.

"Mr. Stark, nice to hear from you. I was told that you have questions regarding the message I left." Bealish asked.

"Yes doctor. I want to know what the diagnoses is exactly. Your message was not very clear." Ned asked. He was getting angry but tried to keep it in check. He had always hated this man.

"On the scans there were two growths in his brain. They are inconclusive as to what the growths are. We will have to go in and discover what they are made of. The most likely courses of treatment will be surgery to remove the growths and radiation to shrink them down." His voice was dispassionate and sounded like he wanted to get off the phone as soon as he could.

"So what is the next move regarding my sons treatment?"

"Well we have to have some follow ups soon. I will arrange this with your wife. I know you are a busy man. Is there anything else?" His greasy voice said.

"Why yes. I would appreciate it of you made all the arrangements with me. My wife will be focused on our children. She will be busy with the children at this time." Ned said to him.

The good doctor gave a laugh and Ned felt his blood boil. He wanted to reach in the phone and strangle the filth.

"Oh sir, I think it will be in the best interest of your sons case if I communicate directly with the primary caregiver of my patient." Bealish said kindly and condescendingly.

"I am the caregiver of my children doctor. Now please contact me with anything regarding my son. Leave my wife out of this." Ned said with clenched teeth.

"I will do what is in the best interest of this case sir. Now good day." He hung up the phone and Ned placed the phone on the receiver.

He had not angry after his talk with the detective, or hearing the news of Sansa's attacker. But he was seething about the worm Bealish and his continued interest in his wife after all the years since they had been young. Ned knew that this man was going to use Bran's condition as a way to worm his way back into Cat's life. Ned had to think of a way to keep their contact to a minimum. He just had to figure out how to convince his wife of this. She was not going to like this new development.


	26. Lets Go To The Movies

Bran

He had been meeting with doctors for a month now. He had been poked and prodded and scanned so many times he had the whole routine memorized. The tumor in the front area of his brain had been easy to cut out, and he still had his eyesight. However, the second one was larger and in a much more of a difficult position to get to. They had attempted to cut it out, but were unable to the first time in. So what they were going to do was try to shrink it down and start again. He had spent his 14th birthday in the hospital starting chemo to shrink it down. He had been sick the whole day. It was a day that he wished that he could forget. Nothing had prepared him for his sick he would become. He had bagged his parents to stop the treatments but they told him he had to continue with the treatments.

That had been a month ago. He was back again for another treatment and a scan. He hoped that this time showed some results. Bran had a feeling that Dr. Baelish did not know what he was doing and was just showing off for his mother. He had pleaded with her to find him a new doctor, to take him back North to be treated but she refused, saying that Dr. Baelish was an old friend she trusted and she could not leave Sansa.

So he was stuck with the pompous Baelish and had to suffer. Every time he had a treatment, he was sick and weak. Then he had an appointment to see the shrink to talk about his "feelings" about having cancer. It was so stupid. He just wanted them to cut it out of him. He did not want to sit on some shrinks couch and have them tell him he would get through this. He knew that psychology was total bullshit. He had won the battle with his parents about those suggested appointments. He had not gone to a single one of the suggested visits.

The one thing that he was hoping for when they started to fight back against the tumors was that he wished that the visions would go away, but they had not, if anything they got more intense and came more frequently.

"So what was this one? Was it new or an old one?" Jojen asked Bran as he sat beside his friend as he got his treatment. Bran was watching the machine drip poison into his veins, hopefully attacking the thing that was killing him.

"Old. Arya and her stocker. I still don't know who it is. But I think I can see a when. It looks like spring. There are flowers growing around. Now I just need to find a closer date. And who it is that is watching her."

"I have been trying to  _see_  what you are  _seeing_. I think I am close to seeing. I keep having visions out of Gendry’s eyes, and you do not want to know what he is feeling making out with your sister." Jojen shuddered.

"Yeah, if you could keep that to yourself I would appreciate that." Bran smiled at Jojen.

The nurse came and checked the progress of his treatment. She was young and friendly. Bran liked her. She was a nursing student named Dany. She was so pretty that Bran and Jojen could do nothing but watch her as she worked with the equipment. She smiled and tried to get the two boys to talk to her, but they were to shy. One time when she had been bending over Bran to get him hooked up for, his treatment he had seen a dragon tattoo on her cleavage that he suspected went up her shoulder and around her ribs.

"Almost done for today Bran. How are you feeling so far?" Dany asked as she checked the speed of the medication.

"Fine, considering what it is that is being pumped into me." Bran said sarcastically.

"Don't think like that. This stuff is saving your life. Think of it that way." She smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

The first time that he had met her he knew that she would be the kind of girl that his older brothers would get in a fight over. It had amused him to think of that situation the first time he had had the chemo. Now it was not as amusing. He then got a crazy idea, snatched up his phone, took a picture of the hot nurse, and sent it to Theon, Robb and Jon all at once.

_Bran why are you sending me a picture of a stranger? She is hot, but who is she? –Jon_

_I want her number. Bran go ask her what her number is and tell her it's for your oldest, wealthy, attractive oldest favorite coolest older brother. I will get you, buy you whatever you want. –Theon_

_Who is that? She looks like a goddess. Is she real, or did you make her on the computer? Real people don't look like that. –Robb_

Bran showed Jojen the texts from his brothers and they both liked Theon’s the best. He sent them a mass text in reply.

_She's my nurse. Her name is Dany. I think she is single. –Bran_

_If that is what the nurse's look like for people with brain tumors, I want one. –Theon_

_She is real? Whoa. I really thought that you made her up on the computer. I might catch the next plane down for a visit on the next long weekend. – Robb_

_A nurse huh? She looks like she has a good bedside manner. I bet she is the only bearable part of your treatment. She looks like she is worth being sick. Robb wants to come down next week. Did you send him a picture of the hot nurse? –Jon._

"Okay Bran, this round is all done. Let's get you unhooked and out of here." Dany smiled at him. "Who are you talking to there?" She peered at his phone as he put it on the table so they could detach the lines from him.

"My brothers. I sort of told them that I had the prettiest nurse looking after me. I sent them your picture. I hope you don't mind." Bran blushed. He should have lied, but he couldn't.

She laughed and shook her head. "What do your brothers look like? Are they as cute as you are?" She smiled at him as she put the BP cuff on his arm.

"They are better looking and all older. Want to see?" Bran picked his phone back up and looked in his pictures for one of all three of his brothers.

He handed her his phone and pointed out each of his brothers to her. She nodded her head and looked at each one. Then she looked at Bran then back at the picture, then back at Bran.

"Only one of them looks like you. I think you said his name was Bob?"

Jojen snorted at that. Bran shot him an angry look and Jojen laughed harder.

"What? Did I say something funny? Let me in on the joke." Dany looked from Bran to Jojen.

"The one who looks like Brans name is Robb, not Bob." Jojen said laughing some more.

Danny’s face colored, clashing with her pale face and hair.

"Oh, I guess I put my foot in that one."

"It's okay, really. Robb is my biological brother, the other two are adopted. Jon is really my cousin and Theon is the son of a friend of my parents. They both are orphans." Bran said explaining. He had had to explain his oldest brothers to people his whole life so he had a short explanation already ready.

"Oh. I know what it feels like to be an orphan. Your parents were very kind to take them in." Dany blinked in a rapid fashion. Her eyes were glistening. "So just so your brothers know I am dating someone. A cage fighter in fact. He is big and strong and could break them in half with a flick of his pinky finger."

Bran blushed and Jojen laughed again.

"Good to know. This will change their plans." Bran texted his brothers this news and got sad replies from all three.

"I will be back in a jiffy. Just sit tight and I will bring you a popsicle." Dany walked out of the room.

"Well that is good to know." Jojen smirked.

"Oh shut up Jojen." Bran threw his puke bucket at his friends head. Jojen ducked and they both laughed. "Thanks for coming with me Jojen. Things are pretty boring around here when I am alone."

"No problem Bran. This is what friends do. Be there when things are shitty as well as the good times." Jojen shrugged.

"It still means a lot to me. You and Meera are the best friends that I have ever had. I don't know what I would have done without you two."

"Went crazy and tried to take the tumors out yourself. You are smart, but not that smart pal."

Bran sat back in his chair as a wave of nausea washed over him. He closed his eyes and then the vision came over him

_Arya and Gendry were sitting on a blanket overlooking the city. The view carried all the way to the ocean. There were wild flowers scattered around them and the pair sat on a blanket making out. He watched as Gendry lifted Arya’s shirt off and he felt a combination of rage and lust stir under the surface. He put his hand in his pocket and he slid his hand around the cool metal of the gun. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at it. He had been carrying it around with him for weeks and he felt that today was the day, the one that he would use it._

_He watched for a moment longer. He wanted the couple to have this last moment of happiness before he changed all their lives. He would shoot Gendry first, then confess to Arya and let her have a choice. Die with Gendry or live with him. If she chose Gendry they would all die, if she choose him the two would live happily ever after. The time was now. He stepped out of the bushes and walked over to them, the gun extended in his hand._

Bran came back to reality and was violently sick. His nose was bleeding and he was shivering.

"Bran, Bran are you okay?" Nurse Dany was standing beside him holding a basin under his face and a cold compress on his head.

"Yeah I am okay. Just a bad reaction to the treatment." His voice came out weak. He looked at Jojen and tried to tell him with his eyes that he had another vision. Jojen nodded his head once Bran knew that he would have to relate this one to him. More of the puzzle was falling in place. He just hoped that he would have all the pieces together before it was too late.

Gendry

The last month had been crazy for him. The band, who decided to call themselves the Five Kings of Westeros, rehearsed all the time and worked not only on the weekends at the club but they also did odd parties sometime too. Gendry had hardly seen Arya outside of school or alone in weeks. She had been busy as well. She had started to pull away some when they learned that Bran had brain cancer and being supportive of Sansa during her ordeal. Gendry had been so worried that she was going to break with him.

He had shared his fears with Jon. The two had become close and Jon had even talked Gendry into applying to some of the schools up North. It would be great if he got into one up there because the Stark family was moving back North at the end of the school year.

Jon had told Gendry that Arya was frightened about Bran and everything that was going on with Sansa and Joffery. Gendry had figured that, but was shocked to hear that she was lashing out at their relationship in that fear. Jon had told him that Arya felt guilty for being happy while her brother and sisters lives were so messed up. She was determined to even things out and that meant she had to dump Gendry. Jon had told Gendry and had told him not to let Arya do that. So being warned Gendry had confronted Arya about the whole thing and had told her that he was not going away. They had had a big argument about the whole thing, but in the end they had not broken up, had great make up sex and things were better than ever for them.

It helped that Beric had started dating. He had become more lax about other people, namely Myrcella and Arya, watching them work since he had someone that he wanted to see all the time now. Beric's new girlfriend was a groupie of sorts that they had met at the club on their third show. She had just walked up to Beric when he was barking orders at his band mates and kissed him. They all had stood there and then the girl had started to lecture Beric for being a tight ass. Gillian was perfect for Beric.

So they were at practice five days before Valentine's Day working on some new songs when the girls showed up. Thoros and Hot Pie had started joking that they were just going to date each other if they didn't find the right woman for them in the next week.

Arya had Sansa with her and Myrcella was on her phone when they walked into Aegon’s house.

"Hey there handsome." Arya sashayed over to Gendry in a tight sweater and even tighter jeans.

"Hi sexy." Hot Pie answered stepping in her way to Gendry, wrapping her in a bear hug and swung her around the room. Arya laughed and swatted his shoulders. He finally put her down and Arya stumbled over to Gendry.

"Hi hon. Glad to see that Hot Pie would share." Gendry gave her a kiss on the lips.

"He probably wouldn't have given me back to you if I was a pastry or something like that." Arya said as she kissed him back.

"I have an announcement to make!" Myrcellas voice broke over the small talk of the group. "My father has agreed to let you guys use the studio in the old guest house to rehearse in."

There was stunned silence all around. Then cheers and demands for more information.

"Well since my dad kicked my mom out of the house he has decided to make some changes. Loaning out that studio is one of them. My mom didn't like the idea of strangers coming and going on the property so she had always said no. And the best part is is that you won't have to pay to use it. How cool is that!" Myrcella smiled, pleased that she could help the band.

"This is great! Myrcella I want to kiss you right now," Beric said, "but Gill would probably hurt me."

"It is okay. I think Aegon can do the kissing for all of you." Myrcella smiled around at all the guys.

Gendry just stood there holding Arya’s hand looking at Myrcella with his mouth opened. Arya reached up and closed his mouth for him.

"I only want to see that look on your face when you see me naked." Arya whispered in his ear.

Gendry looked down at her, blinked a few times, and then laughed. The rest of the rehearsal was unproductive. They all drove over to the Red Keep to look at the studio. Robert was there to talk with the guys. It was the first time Gendry had seen Robert Baratheon up close before. He looked nothing like Myrcella, but there was something familiar about the man's face, but Gendry couldn't put his finger on it.

"Thank you sir, for letting us use the studio. It means a lot to us." Gendry had said shaking Roberts hand when it was his turn to shake hands with him.

Robert stood there shaking his hand and looking into his eyes the longest. "You are welcome my boy. When Myrcella showed me a recording of you, all playing I knew that I could help. You are all talented. I might even find you boys a producer." Robert smiled at the group assembled.

Arya and Sansa stood off to the side. When Robert was done talking to the guys he went over to the Stark sisters and had a quick conversation with them. When he walked away, he had the girls laughing. Gendry was happy to see Sansa smiling. The only time he saw her smile in the last month was when Sandor was around them. She had stopped hanging out with the cheerleaders and started "slumming" with their group.

The girls went to look at the instruments while the guys were in with the sound booth. Beric was making all sorts of plans as they stood around. Then he noticed that Gill was on the key board, Myrcella was on the base and Arya was playing his gaiter. Sansa was singing into the mike with Arya. Gendry looked down to find the switch that would let the sound booth hear what was going on in the other room. The girl's voices floated into the room. They were singing a Sheryl Crow song.

"God I feel like hell tonight. Tears of rage I cannot fight." Sansa’s voice was amazing. "I'd be the last to help you understand. Are you strong enough to be my man? My man."

Then Arya started singing. Gendry was shocked that she had such a smoky sexy voice. He looked around at the guys and they were standing there in stunned silence.

"Nothing’s true and nothings right. So let me be alone to night. Cause you can't change the way I am. Are you strong enough to be my man?"

Then all the girls started singing the choirs.

“Lie to me, I promos, I’ll believe. Lie to me, but please don’t leave me.”

The guys just stood there waiting for them to finish the song. Once they were done, they broke out into applause and cheered. Sansa’s face turned redder then her hair and she started laughing. The other girls followed suit. Gill and Arya took bows. They walked into the other room and received more applause.

"That was really great ladies. I didn't know that you knew how to play." Gendry kissed Arya.

"Well I have known how to since I was 12. I learned at summer camp. And Myrcella has been getting lessens from Aegon. Sansa has always sung. Gill is a trained pianist. We were just fooling around while you guys salivated over your new toys in here." Arya shrugged as if they had not rocked.

"Can you do that again? You could be our opening act." Beric was making plans already.

"I don't think so pal. We only play for ourselves, not the public." Gill spoke up. She gave Beric a stern look, but then smiled at him.

"Just think about it. We Kings are going places. Stick with us girls and you can rise to the top with us!" Thoros joked.

Gendry’s phone rang from his pocket. It was Sandor.

"Pineapple is a go. I repeat Pineapple is a GO. Meet at the diner." Sandor hung up before Gendry could get a word in.

"Um, guys, it looks like we are having Pineapple tonight. We have to go now."

Sandor

The last month had been torture for Sandor. They had decided that he was going to stay close to Joffery to stay in his confidence and find out when the best time to put Pineapple into effect. That meant that he had to be mean to Sansa and not hang out with his friends. So he had to not sit with Sansa in class, not sat with Gendry and the others at lunch. If he wanted to see them, he had to make sure that no one was around. He just wanted the whole ordeal to be over with. Then he could be with Sansa and they could stop this tension filled flirtation that they had going on.

Every time he went over to the Starks to work with Sansa on homework, he had to stop himself from making out with her. He liked everything about her. She was brave and tough for standing up to Joffery. She was attractive, smart, and funny. He wanted her so badly. He knew that she needed time to deal with the whole Joffery thing so he did not want to pressure her into a relationship before she was ready. So he had kept busy with school work and looking for a job. He found one with the observatory. So every day after school he was in a ticket booth trying to not get to board out of his mind.

Then he got a text from Joffery one day telling him that he was going out on a date that night. Sandor figured that it would be the perfect time to put plan Pineapple into effect. He got the info of where Joffery would be. He was going to the movies. That would be perfect. They could steal the car and then blow it to hell, where they should be sending Joffery. Sandor told his supervisor that he had to leave work early because of a family emergency and called Gendry.

"Pineapple is a go. I repeat Pineapple is a GO. Meet at the diner." Sandor didn't wait for a reply. He just hung up and drove to the meeting place.

His nerves were humming and he felt alive. For the last month, the only thing that had kept him from killing Joffery was the knowledge of Pineapple. He had to put up with Jofferys bitching about being arrested and then being brought up on sexual assault charges. Then when Jofferys father had kicked him and his mother out of the house Sandor had had to hear all about the injustice of that. Sandor could put up with the bitching fine. Things became really hard when Joffery started to bad mouth Sansa. Each time Joffery said something about her Sandor wanted to kill the pig. But he would be giving Joff his payback. It would be perfect and they all would enjoy it.

Sandor was the first to arrive to the diner. He got the biggest booth in the place. He sat with a cola in front of him thinking about how by next week he could stop pretending to be Jofferys friend. Then he saw the rest of the team pull into the parking lot and walk into the diner. They came in, all ten of them. Sandor had to count twice to make sure that he had that right. There were ten people walking to him not four.

"What is with all these people Gendry? Are we selling tickets and you just didn't tell me?" Sandor looked at Gendry not pleased with this new development.

"We are your alibis. Because Joffery is going to suspect that, it was you guys and will tell the cops so you all will need alibies. But if you wanted to record the explosions I would for one give you five bucks to see it." Thoros said as he slid into the booth.

Sandor's expression changed from anger to pleasure. He had not thought about an alibi. This would be perfect. Then he saw Sansa. She stood there looking at him. They locked eyes and then she winked at him sliding in next to him. He smiled as her slim body pressed against him so that they could make room for everyone to be able to sit. He tried to be smooth and put his arm around the back of the booth so that it rested on her shoulder. She looked at his hand then up at him and slid even closer. Sandor felt her small hand in his knee under the table and closed his eyes for a second. He pulled her closer still and they waited for everyone to be settled in a bubble of sexual tension.

The two were unaware that the rest of the table was watching them until he felt a foot connect with his shin and Sansa jumped and said ouch.

"What was that for Arya? Did you have to pinch me?" Sansa sounded annoyed as she turned to her sister.

"Um yes I did. You were off in another world over there. Gendry asked Sandor a question and he just sat there looking at you." Arya smiled at her sister then leaned around Sansa and addressed Sandor. "So when is this going down? We need to know so the others can have out alibies ready for us."

Sandor’s face was pink for being caught ogling Sansa so blatantly in public. They would do that in private but that was different. People were expecting him to know what was happening and he was letting them down.

"Oh, well," Sandor cleared his throat. "Joffery is taking some floozy to a movie at Kings Landing Multiplex for some new zombie movie at nine. So we have about two hours to wait."

"He usually parks the furthest from the other cars so no one will scratch his car. That will make things easy for you." Myrcella supplied for them all.

"Damn. I wanted to show off my hot wiring skills." Gendry grumbled.

"Don't worry hon. You can hot wire me instead." Arya said as she leaned up to nibble on Gendry’s ear. "Ouch! Sansa you pinched me!"

Sansa just smiled and pulled Sandor’s hand from off the back of the booth and draped it on her shoulders. Sandor was watching Sansa’s face as she smiled at her sister next to her.

"We don't have time for that right now. You stopped me, I stop you. Fair is fair."

Arya glared at her sister and Sansa just kept on smiling and holding Sandor’s hand.

Aegon chuckled and then asked Myrcella what the alibies were going to be.

"The guys and Gill, Sansa and I are going to be at the movies across town and so are all of you. We are having a group date here. Can't you tell?" Myrcella looked around the table and smiled.

Sandor looked around. Everyone at the table had a date, except Thoros and Hot Pie, but the two were acting as if they were on a date with one another. Sandor knew that they were not on that team, so he had to smile at them play-acting.

"That sounds good. But won't people talk if they see Sandor with me out on a date?" Sansa asked as she looked over at Myrcella.

"Seriously Sansa? We all have been waiting for you two to become official for so long now. It's about damn time that you just came out and said it already. You two are an item." Myrcella looked as if she was going to smack the two of them.

"But they can't start being official now!" Hot Pie cried out.

"And why not?" Arya demanded.

"Because I'd lose the poll. I said that they wouldn't become a real couple for another week and a half." Hot Pie grumbled.

Sandor looked at Sansa and her cheeks were as red as her cast had been. She had it taken off last week. He looked at Hot Pie and then burst out laughing.

"Well since the group approves, Sansa Stark will you go out with me?" Sandor asked Sansa. His head was tilted to the side and his eyebrow was raised in question.

"Um, let me thing. Yes. I would love to date you." Sansa smiled and put a small kiss on his lips.

"Finally!" The entire table shouted at the same time. Then they all dissolved into laughter.

Arya

After watching her sister moon and pine away for Sandor since they had moved South it was so nice to see that they were finally together. And to make the evening even better then it already was they were going to do plan pineapple. The best part of the night had been when the guys had been given the studio at the Red Keep.

They ordered some food to pass the time and then got righto the point of teasing Sansa and Sandor. She had won the poll on when they would get together, 200 bucks. She was going to use that to take Gendry out for a Valentines date.

The group all piled into the cars and drove to a theater on the other side of town. All eleven of them got tickets for some comedy film that was playing. They walked in in groups of twos and threes. It was hard to keep from bolting from the doors and just blowing up the car for pay back but they had to wait and play it cool until it was the right time.

"So what kind of candy do you want? Milk Duds and medium popcorn?" Gendry asked as they stood in line at the concession stand.

"You do remember that we are not really staying to watch the movie right?" She looked at him and watched as he shrugged. "Yeah, Milk Duds are fine. And I want a small soda as well."

"So demanding." Gendry walked over to the register and placed their order.

Arya strolled over to the girls that were off on the side. Thoros was there with them acting like one of the girls while he pretended to be on a date with Hot Pie. He was imitating Renly and had Myrcella and Sansa laughing so hard they had tears streaming down their faces.

"And you Miss Stark," Thoros's voice was slightly higher than normal and he was waving his hands about more then normal. "You are almost hopeless! I mean Arya dear, that hair needs to be styled, and who dresses you? A blind person? Ugh you are a lost cause my darling. But your sister on the other hand, she is a vision. Perfect and lovely. Why can't you be more like her Arya?" Thoros took her hand and patted them sympathetically as if he was telling her how sorry he was that her grandmother had died.

The others were all giggling and laughing when their dates walked over to them with their goodies for the movies. They filed into the theater. Their group took up an almost an entire row. The guys that were involved with Pineapple were on the outside of the isle.

The previews started rolling and Arya hunkered down in her seat. She had her jacket on and had slung her boyfriend's arm around her shoulder and tried to secretly place his hand on her chest. It had been way to long since they had had any kind of sex in her opinions, so the small contact of his hand on her breast thrilled her. He smiled at her and started to massage her left breast. She placed her hand on lap and wiggled her hand under the popcorn box to start playing with his growing arousal.

"What do you think you are doing? We have a mission to do tonight and I don't think it will be good if I am horny as fuck going into it." He growled into her ear.

Arya smiled and leaned up to his ear. "Go to the bathroom, the handicapped one. I will meet you there in three minutes. We will have enough time to relieve that pressure." Her tongue flicked out and she licked his ear.

Gendry was out of his seat and walking out so fast it was as if the theater was on fire. Arya leaned over and asked Hot Pie to let her know when the others were ready to leave. Arya stood up and walked out of the theater to find Gendry and to get some much-needed attention.

Arya knocked on the door to the bathroom and Gendry opened it to let her in. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She was standing with her back to the door and pulled Gendry over to her for a deep kiss. They stood there making out for a second before Gendry could not stand it anymore, picked her up, and wrapped her legs around his waist. She was leaning back against the door. Arya fumbled to unsnap his pants. He understood what she wanted so he let her side down and he let his pants drop to his ankles. She had the same idea so she slid one of her legs out of her jeans and he lifted her back up so their pelvises were fused together.

Arya was panting with lust and love as Gendry’s hand played with her breasts. His erection was growing and she wrapped her hand around him to get him ready to enter her. She locked her legs around his waist and he was able to enter her. They were panting with pent up need. Gendry started moving his hips and she gripped his shoulders to keep her position. There were so focused on each other that they didn't realize that their phones were ringing. With one deep thrust, Arya called out Gendry’s name and he came yelling as well.

There was a pounding on the door that they were leaning against. Arya kissed the tip of Gendry’s nose as he slid out of her and place her Jell-O legs to the floor. They pulled on their pants and walked out of the bathroom. Aegon and Sandor were standing on either side of the door. They both rolled their eyes and walked away from the lovebirds as they smiled and walked after them.

"So that's where you guys went. It's time to go and you decide to have a quickie in a bathroom?" Aegon tried to sound angry but Arya knew that he was just disappointed he had not thought of it first.

"Yep. Now I can concentrate 100 percent on the mission and I won't have sex on the brain. Now let's go get the boom on." Gendry led them to the taxi stand.

They had decided that they would take a taxi to the theater. They realized that having a getaway driver that couldn't legally drive was not a good idea. But Arya would not be left out. She told them that she was coming and that was that. They had stopped at their cars to change into all black clothing and grab their stuff. They each had a gas can and when they piled into the taxi they asked to be taken to the nearest gas station.

"Out of gas?" The driver asked.

"Yes sir. We ran out of gas trying to get gas to our friend at another theater. It has been a long night." Arya smiled sweetly at the driver.

"Oh that's too bad. There is a station right up here. Where do you need to take the gas?"

"Kings Landing Multiplex." Arya answered. She was in the front seat of the cab.

They filled up their cans and headed to the theater. The taxi driver dropped them off four rows away from Jofferys car. Sandor paid the cabbie in cash. They lugged their cans and Arya had the backpack on with their other supplies. Myrcella had been right. Joffery had parked his car so far away from everyone that they didn't need to worry about getting anyone hurt or anyone else's car being hit with stuff from the blast.

They all pulled hoods on and they walked over to the shiny gold BMW. Joffery had custom-made license plates that read KING JOFF.

"What a portentous ass." Arya muttered as she looked at it.

Gendry and Aegon got to work dismantling the alarm system. Once that was done, they opened the passenger door and Sandor started splashing gas on the inside. To any on looker it would have looked like they were trying to get the car started. Arya stood beside it pretending to talk to a tow company and Gendry and Aegon fiddled under the hood. They had dumped gas on the motor. Sandor pulled out of the car and held up his thumb. Arya walked over, put a cotton rag into the tank, and nodded her head.

Bran had told them that they should leave a book of matches in the car on the seat with one of them lit to start the inside. They lit the matches and placed them on the seat next to a small puddle of gas. Gendry did the same under the hood. The three big guys walked away to get a new taxi and Arya lit the cotton rag. Then she ran like hell to catch up with the guys. They could see the car from where all the taxicabs were. They were pulling off their black hoodies and shoving them in a trashcan when the explosion lit up the parking lot. They hopped into a taxi and watched as the fireball of Jofferys car lit up the night sky.

"Holy shit." Sandor said as he slid into the cab. "What is that?"

"It looks like a car. What is going on?" Arya craned her head around the cabby to see the burning car.

"A car exploded. Kids we should leave now if you don't want to be stuck here by the emergency people. Where are you heading?" The driver asked.

Arya told the driver to take them to a mall. The guys looked at one another not understanding, but she figured it would look strange to go from one theater to another. He dropped them off at the mall and Aegon paid this time.

"Why are we here Arya? Did you feel the urge to buy some shoes or something?"

"No stupid. It would look weird to be picked up at one movie place and dropped off at another. We have to get a new cab to take us back." Arya looked at the three guys and saw the lights go on for them.

"Oh."

They hailed another cab and made it to the theater where the others were waiting outside for them.

"So what happened?" Beric asked as soon as they rejoined their friends.

"The car went boom." Arya smiled like an angle and she showed them the small video of the explosion.

"That looks so kick ass! I love fire." Thoros crowed.

Myrcellas phone started to ring and so did Sansa’s. They whipped them out to look who was texting them.

"It just went viral. Jofferys car exploded. Everyone knows." Sansa looked around with the biggest smile Arya had seen on her sister's face since before her attack.

Myrcella

The night that they blew up Jofferys car Myrcella was as pleased as the rest of the group, but she also felt saddened. No matter what Joffery did, he was still her brother. She knew how he would react. It was not the first time that she was glad that her father had kicked her mother and older brother out of the house.

Myrcella liked to think back on that day when her dad threw them out. It was the day that Joffery had been arrested. Myrcella had gotten home from school to find her mother in a state of panic.

"Myrcella your brother has been arrested. We have to go get him out. Your father refuses to lift a finger to help. I am calling your grandfather." Cersei had stormed off to call her father for help.

Myrcella had walked to her room to do her homework. By the time she got hungry and went downstairs, her father was home. She stopped by his den on the way to the kitchen.

"Hi daddy." She walked over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What no kiss for your favorite uncle?"

"Uncle Tyrion! What are you doing here? Are you helping Joff out?"

Her uncle had thrown his head back and laughed.

"No princess, your uncle is here helping me. Myrcella I have decided to divorce your mother. It is no secret that she and I have no love for one another. The only reason we stayed together this long is because of you and your brothers. But after what Joffery did I can tell that I have failed with him. The only way that you and Tommy won't end up like him is to get you two away from her."

Myrcella had been shocked, not with the news that her father wanted to divorce her mother, but that he wanted her and Tommen. All her life she knew that her father loved her, but he never showed interest in her. It had filled her with a warm glow to know that he cared enough for her and Tommen to protect them.

"How do you feel about that dear girl?" Her uncle asked.

"I am pleased uncle that father is finally doing something. He has been unhappy for years. I am glad that he is doing something to make him happy. Mother is not the right one for him." She looked at her uncle as she talked. She did not have the courage to say that to her father, but her uncle was someone she felt safe talking to.

"Is that truly how you feel my princess?" His father's voice was soft as he asked.

"Yes daddy. I truly mean that."

Later that night her mother came home with Joffery. Jamie stood beside her. Robert had stood at the base of the stairs with Myrcella and Tyrion.

"What the hell are you doing with Robert Tyrion? Father and I called you all day. We want you to be Joff's legal representation." Cersei demanded when she saw her imp of a brother.

"Well that my dear sister would be a slight conflict of interest for me. You see I am going to be representing Robert here on a different matter and I have a feeling that it is going to take up all of my time." Tyrion said to his sister.

"Representing Robert? What is the meaning of this? Is there something going wrong with the arrangement with the Starks? What could be more important then protecting your nephew from the lies of some stupid girl?" Cersei demanded.

"I am employing Tyrion as my attorney in my divorce case against you, woman. And with that I want you out of this house in two days." Robert said to the angry Cersei.

"You do not mean this?" Cersei had yelled.

"I do mean it. You are no longer welcome here in this house. I want you and that bastard rapist out of my house." Robert pointed his finger at Joffery.

"Myrcella go get Tommen. I will not have you in the house with that man." Cersei had shrieked.

"No mother. I am staying here. This is my home. I am not going to leave it." Myrcellas voice wobbled slightly.

Cersei went ballistic. Her mother yelled that Robert would not take her children away from her. It took all Jamie's strength to drag Cersei out of the house. Joffery looked at his father and sister in shock. He then followed his mother and uncle.

That was a month ago. She had seen her mother once since then. Her uncle Jamie had come to see her at school one day to urge her to go to her mother. Myrcella had refused. She did not want to see her mother. Cersei was spreading lies about Sansa. There was no reason for Myrcella to be around someone so poisonous. She told Jamie that. There was a sad look in his eye, but he said that he understood.

So the month had passed and her father filled their house with love and laughter, something that had been missing her entire childhood. Aegon was welcomed to their house and she did not have to hide her love and feelings for him. Tommen had been scared and confused when Robert had told him that he was divorcing Cersei, but then he was happy because their father was happy.

But when she arrived home on the night of the explosion, she felt the first twinges of fear. She knew that the plot to blow up her brother's car had been risky. She knew that Joffery would not sit idly by as his car was blown up. He was waiting for Aegon and Myrcella when they arrived at the Red Keep.

"You asshole. You blew up my fucking car. You and that bastard Bull." Joffery threw himself at Aegon when he had stepped away from his bike.

Aegon had easily dodged the swung that Joffery had thrown and landed a solid connection to Jofferys midsection.

"You sniveling little worm. I had nothing to do with your fucking car. I was at a movie with your sister and my friends. Now if I was you I would get the hell out of here before you hurt yourself again." Aegon threw Joffery into the gravel of the driveway.

"I will not stand for this. You will pay. All of you." Joffery shouted as he retreated to his borrowed car.

Myrcella was shaking with fear.

"Aegon he knows. He knows it was you who did it. How can he know?" Myrcella rushed to his arms and pulled him close to her.

"He is just using his head for once. Any smart person would think that it was us that did it. In this case, he would be right. Don't worry my love. He can do nothing to me." Aegon kissed Myrcellas hair and lead her into the house.

Robert was in his office when they entered the house and he called out to the pair to come talk to him.

"I have some disturbing news my princess. The first bit is that there has been some kind of accident with your dear brother's car at some movie. I am all torn up over it." Roberts blue eyes twinkled with suppressed mirth. "The second is that your uncle Tyrion and I have found out that Joffery is not my son. We suspect that he is the son of your uncle Jamie. We ran DNA tests on all you children."

"What about me and Tommen?"

"You are mine and so is your little brother. Tyrion and I suspect that each time I slept with your mother she went and had sex with Jamie. There was a 50-50 chance of who you children's father was, either Jamie or myself. You just happened to have the right father." Robert looked into Myrcellas eyes. She saw sorrow and betrayal in them.

"I am so sorry daddy. This must be very hard for you." Myrcella walked over to her father and hugged him.

"It is alright my dear. I am just glad that that sick prick is not my son after all. I have one more confession. I believe that your friend Gendry could be my son. I knew his mother around the time he was born. I would like to find out more. His mother and I have reconnected recently. She is in fact my sponsor. I have asked her if the boy is mine, but she said she is not sure. I only tell you this in full disclosure. I will not keep things from you. That is your mother's game. And Aegon you are family now. I know Myrcella will tell you what I say, so I figure why not have you present when I tell her."

The two stood there even more stunned then before. They knew that Gendry did not know his father. But the fact that Robert could be his father was something new to them. Then Myrcella stopped and thought about it. She saw the similarities between the two men. They had the same jet-black hair and the same dark blue eyes. She realized that Gendry could in fact be her brother. Now she was glad that they had never dated.

“That’s all kids. I have a feeling the police will be coming to mask questions. You were all busy, right?” He asked smiling.

“Yes sir. We were at the movies.” Aegon said.

“Good. I have work to do. Now go and be safe.” Robert went back to work.

Aegon and Myrcella walked away and she thought of something for them to do to help pass the time.


	27. Love Is In The Air

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is sort of smut heavy. So now you know, enjoy.

Sansa

It was Valentine’s Day and it was the first real date that Sansa and Sandor would be going on since they had been bullied into dating. Not that Sansa had a problem with being with Sandor; she was over the moon, all the way to the stars of Orion's Belt and back. She was deliriously happy, but they had decided to not be too opened about their relationship. Sansa still had reservations about dating while the Joffery drama was still going on. But she could not turn her back on love and happiness with Sandor.

She sat in front of her vanity doing her hair. They were going to use the present that Sandor had given her for Christmas. They were going to stargaze in the observatory. It reminded her of the first time that she had realized she had feelings for Sandor. He was her Perseus and she was his Andromeda. She had had them matching necklaces made with the outlines of those constellations engraved on them. They had decided not to pay more then 20 bucks on presents. The necklaces had cost her fifty for both. She figured that 5 dollars over wouldn't be to bad.

She was so glad that she was not in her cast anymore. It still embarrassed her that the time they had kissed while watching Titanic she had bashed his head with it. This time when she kissed him, she will be able to wrap her arms around his neck without giving him a concussion.

"Hey Sansa could you come give me some advice?" Arya was standing in the doorway in a bathrobe.

"What is it? I have to finish getting dressed myself."

"Well I need your expertise in a simple matter of what to wear."

Sansa sighed and walked out of her room and followed Arya into her room. Her sister closed the door. Sansa looked at the bed expecting to see outfits lined up for her to choose for Arya to wear. What she saw instead was different bras and underwear combos.

"Um Arya what is this?"

"I can't decide on what to wear. I want to be sexy and classy for Gendry. What do you think of this one?" Arya had ripped off her robe and stood before Sansa in a black lace push up bra with matching panties. There were stripes of red on the underwear. "I also have either thigh highs without a grater or with one." Arya held the choices up to have Sansa choose.

"Um, I like the purple one on the bed. Or the green one." Sansa looked at the garments on the bed. "Where did you get this stuff?"

"I got it with the money that I won betting on you and Sandor. I really should thank you. You are making my date with Gendry."

Sansa rolled her eyes and looked at the sizes of the different outfits. All of them still had tags on. Sansa kept looking at one set. It was a red satin set with a push up bra and a pair of hip hugger panties. There was black lace on the trim. Sansa picked the bra and looked at the size.

"Hey do you think I could have these? It would look good with the outfit that I have picked out."

"Sure I see no reason why it shouldn't be worn. I think I will go with the see through purple one. I think I will just go with the thigh high without the garter. Now do you like this black dress or the red one?" Arya opened her closet.

Sansa had never seen the dresses before. They were both short and sexy. The red was strapless and the black had thin straps and looked tight. She wanted to ask if she could borrow the black dress, but she knew that Arya would probably wear that one.

"I think the red. It looks hot. And it is Valentine's Day. Red is the color of love." Sansa felt the marital; it was sheer and slightly see through.

"I was thinking the same thing. Hey, since I'm not wearing the black do you want to borrow it? And would you happen to have some shoes to go with the dress?" Arya had thrown her robe back on so she could walk into the hall.

Sansa scooped up the lingerie and the black dress and followed Arya to her room to make sure she didn't mess up her shoes. Sansa found a pair of 4-inch patent leather shoes that she knew would look good with the red dress. Arya thanked her and skipped out of the room to dress for her date.

Sansa looked at the new underwear then looked at what she was going to wear. Her bra looked to plain now compared to the one from Arya. Just plain black with no lace was not something that she felt would inspire lust in Sandor. Then she looked at the outfit that she had originally picked out. It was a tight pencil skirt and sweater. They were also not as sexy as the dress. She had not felt sexy in a long time so she decided that the day was today to feel sexy.

She put on the new underwear and felt like a goddess of lust. Then she slid into the silk dress. She had pulled the tags off when she got into them and was impressed that her sister had become such a thrifty shopper. They were all on sale and she was glad that her sister had used her head and had gotten so many cute clothes for cheap. The dress felt like it was made for her. She loved the feel of silk on her skin. She found a deep red half sweater as a cover. She looked in the mirror and she knew that she looked good. She got a pair of strappy sandal heels. Her legs are a little to long for the dress but she knew that Sandor would like it.

She walked out of her room and saw Arya walking out of her room as well. They both stopped and looked at one another. Sansa smiled and could not help but laugh at the fact that Arya had a large coat on to hide the fact that the dress was see through.

"Wow sis, you look good." Arya said when she saw her sister.

"You look good yourself." Sansa waited for Arya to come over to her and they walked down the stairs together.

Sandor and Gendry were both already there waiting for them. Their father was talking with them in the entryway. Sansa was glad that her father liked Sandor and that he was supportive of her relationship with him. All three men were laughing over something that Gendry had said. They had stopped talking when they heard the clink of the heels on the floor. Sandor and Gendry had had their backs to the stairs so when they turned around they got their first glimpse of the girls.

Sansa smiled as she saw how Sandor’s eyes lit up with lust, desire, and hunger. She had left her clutch on the small table in the center of the room. She noticed that there were two arrangements of flowers on them. One was of wild flowers that Sansa knew were for Arya and the daises were for her. Sansa loved daises. They made her think of the sun and warmth and love. They were so simple yet so beautiful.

Arya and Gendry were talking to Ned and laughing together. Sandor walked over to her with a goofy smile on his lips. Sansa had a deep urge to make out with him right there in the entryway of her house, in front of her father all because of a smile.

"Wow. You look amazing." Sandor reached out his hand and she placed her small one with in his.

"Thank you. I borrowed this from Arya." Sansa looked down at her feet. She felt the blush creep to her cheeks thinking about what she had on under the dress. "I love the flowers. They are my favorite."

"I know."

"How? I never told you that they were."

"You told a story a few months ago about daisies from your childhood and how much you liked them. I remembered." Sandor rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand, smiling that goofy smile that she was finding so lust inspiring.

"Oh Sandor. You really are amazing. You know that right?" She leaned up on her toes and placed a quick peck on his lips.

The look on his face was priceless. Half shock half desire. She knew that her face now had a goofy smile stretched across it. They stood there looking into one another's eyes and were lost in their own world. Sansa was realizing that they let that happen quite often lately, but she didn't care. Very mattered was the Sandor was with her and she was happy.

A cough from behind them broke their bubble. Ned was standing by the door looking at them, waiting for the two to leave on their date.

"Are you going to stand there all night and look at one another? I don't mind. I would just like to know if I can close the door."

"Sorry daddy. We are going now. I will be home at curfew." She gave her father a kiss on the cheek.

"I know you will darling. Have a good night. Sandor be careful with my daughter. No matter how old she gets she will always be my little girl." Ned shook Sandor’s hand.

"I understand sir." Sandor nodded a serious look on his face.

"Really daddy. Did you tell Gendry that?"

"I sure did. Now go have a good date night. I want you out of the house so I can go surprise your mother for Valentine's Day."

"To much information dad. We are leaving now." Sansa pulled Sandor out of the house. She gave a small shudder.

"Are you cold Sansa?" Sandor asked noticing her shaking.

"I'm not cold. I just remembered that my parents love each other and that means that they still have sex." She grimaced.

Sandor laughed at the look on her face as he opened the door for her.

Gendry

Gendry had put a lot of thought into what he was going to do with Arya on their first Valentine's Day as a couple. He knew that she was not the romantic type of girl, but he wanted to do something that she would see as romantic. So he had spent weeks looking for the right thing for them to do, then he found it. He was taking her to an art opening. He normally would not have liked it, but he was looking forward to it. The artist had used cars and their insides to make sculptures. Gendry loved anything to do with cars so he figured that he wouldn't get board at the art thing.

"So where are you taking me? Because you know that I have a plan on where we should go." Arya said from beside him in the car.

"We agreed that we would do the first part of the night with my date then at nine it would be your turn at being in control of the date." Gendry looked at her with a fake angry look on his face.

Arya laughed and slid along the bench seat to be right next to him. She buckled her seatbelt and he slid his arm around her. They drove to an out of the way section of the city where the art exhibit was being held. Arya looked at the shops on either side of the gallery with curiosity. They were in a part of town that Gendry would consider "trendy". It was not the place that he would normally be in, but for Arya he would be there. He held on to her hand as they walked into the art gallery.

He was watching her face when they entered. It had gone from suspicious to shocked to pleased in a matter of seconds. Gendry let his breath out and smiled down at her.

"Surprise." He whispered into her ear, placing a small kiss at the base of her neck.

"Gendry this is amazing. I didn't know that this was here. I love you Gendry so much. This is the best date ever." Arya’s eyes were large as she looked around the large room of the sculptures made out of scraps of cars.

"I figured that you would like it. Let me take your coat and have them checked. I have a feeling that we will be here a while."

Arya wordlessly slipped out of her coat and Gendry gulped. She was in a red dress that hit her midway between her knee and hip. It was not to tight in the skirt, but hugged her chest like the one it was painted on. But the reason that he was unable to tear his eyes away from her was that when the light caught the dress just right it was see through.

"Maybe you should keep on your jacket." Gendry held it out for her to slip back into.

"What? Oh sure." Arya said distractedly.

He slipped her coat back on, then looked around to make sure no one else in the room had seen what she was wearing under her coat. She was sexy as hell and he was going to make sure no one got to see his sexy lover besides him.

"I'm going to check my coat and bring us some water." He told her.

"Okay. I will be right here." Arya stood in front of a twisted heap of metal that was both rusted and chromed. Gendry identified five different exhaust systems interwoven. It was an interesting piece but Gendry would not be able to just stand there and look at it with the look of devotion that Arya had on her face.

He walked to the back of the gallery to where the coat check was located. While he was standing in line, he looked around, not at the art but at the people. Most of them were in their thirties and were talking in groups of three or four. He was surprised at the number of people that were there. He was so lost in thought of how strange people were that he didn't notice that someone behind him had cleared their throat to get his attention until he was being tapped on the shoulder.

"Excuse me my dear boy, but you wouldn't be Gendry Waters would you?" A bald man in outlandish colored clothing asked him.

"Um, yes I am Gendry Waters. Who wants to know?" Gendry eyes the man warily.

"I am an acquaintance of the lovely Miss Stark over there. I have heard quite a bit about you from another acquaintance that you and I share. Jaqen has mentioned you once or twice. I recognized you from his description and I wanted to introduce myself and give you a warning." The bald man's face was calm, but his eyes shouted something that Gendry could not identify.

"Okay. Who are you and what is the warning?" Gendry was becoming agitated more and more by the second.

"I am Varys. I own this and a few other galleries around town. I sell some of Jaqen’s paintings. I want to sell some of the lovely Miss Starks paintings as well, but alas she has refused to allow me that pleasure." Varys held out his hand for Gendry to shake.

Gendry did not want to place his hand in the strange mans before him, but he was not going to be rude to the owner of the gallery. For all he knew if he didn't shake hands with the creepy guy he would be thrown out. So he shook hands with Varys. Gendry tried to remove his hand quickly, but Varys was much stronger then he looked and held onto it in a vise like grip.

"Watch out dear boy. He has not given up. If anything, this has just made him more determined to have her. Now I must go say hello to my other guests. If there is ever anything that you ever want just call on my services. I do more then just art. I help all struggling artists and I hear you and that band of yours would make a wonderful addition to my collection." Varys produced a business card from his sleeve and handed it to Gendry. "Use this any time for any reason. You intrigue me."

Gendry watched the strange man walk away from him. He looked down at the card in his hand. There was a large spider on the front of the card. He had seen that logo all over LA. For different bands, clothing, restaurants. Pretty much everything had a spider involved. He looked over to Arya. Varys was talking with her now. He noted that she had a smile on her face, but looked cautious of the guy. Gendry was glad that his little wolf was not fooled by the spiders’ compliments and flattery. He ended up not checking his coat or grabbing the water. He was to disturbed by what Varys had said about this nameless person not giving up. He had no idea what Varys was talking about.

He made his way over to Arya and all his worry flew out of his mind when she turned to him and smiled. Gods he loved her. She was the most amazing person he had ever known. She was everything that he had ever wanted. Arya was a mixture of iron and silk. Tough on the outside but sweet and loving when they were alone.

"I have never seen anything so captivating." She smiled at him then turned her eyes back to the sculpture in front of her.

"Not even me?" He wiggled his eyebrow at her and she swatted his arm.

"Only when you are naked beneath me. I love the way that your eyes go dark and you watch me."

He felt himself grow hard remembering the last time she had been on top during sex. She was like a goddess when they made love. No matter what they did, she always had a way to surprise him. He sometimes forgot that she had come to him a virgin. She had become more adventurous with every week that they were together.

Last Tuesday she had completely shocked him. They were in the auto shop and working on Jon's car interior. They were in the backseat installing the seatbelts. The garage was humming with the others all around them. They were talking and joking when he noticed Arya get a look on her face that he recognized as her new experience face.

"Arya what are you thinking?" He had asked her.

"That I am tired of turning this screwdriver. I would rather be screwing you." She had leaned over, unbuckled his pants, and zipped the zipper down.

She had snaked her hand into his pants pulled him free of his jeans. She slid to the floor and looked up at his with lust and desire shining in her eyes.

"Arya what the hell are you doing? We are surrounded by the auto shop in the middle of school! You can't be doing this." His words were stolen from him as he felt her tongue flick across the tip of his hard erect manhood.

He had sucked in his breath through his clenched teeth. He wildly looked out the window to make sure that no one was able to see what Arya was doing to him. He had looked down at Arya kneeling between his legs in the back of the car. Her dark head bobbed up and down on him. He closed his eyes and fought the urge to throw his head back with pleasure. He loved the way that her mouth worked around him and on him. She licked along the hardness that she was building. She was sucking and stroking him in ways that she had never done before. Then her mouth left his length and she took his balls into her mouth, still working on his pulsating erection. Gendry twisted his hand into her hair and came hard and fast.

"Oh holy fucking shit Arya. What was that for?" He had panted.

She looked at him, wiping his seed off her hands and her cleavage that he had shot onto. There was a smile on her face that was so huge that he was frightened of what she was going to say.

"I wanted to see if we could do that and not get caught. Plus I like how freaked out your face got. You looked so scared, I couldn't resist."

He was watching her at the gallery thinking back on that day and he had a sudden urge to pay her back. He smiled and licked his lips and said in a husky voice that he knew drove her wild, "I think it is time that we left."

Arya jolted and looked at him ready to argue when she took in his dark eyes and the possessive way that he was touching the small of her back.

"Um, okay. Yeah let's get out of here." She took his hand and they bolted out of the door as fast as they could without running.

Jaqen

He had come up with an idea to be able to follow Arya on her date with that interloper without arousing suspicion. He had asked a girl out on a date. He couldn't remember her name, but she was there with him as they went into the gallery that Gendry had taken Arya.

He had watched with hungry eyes when Gendry had taken off her coat and he drank in how her dress was see-through. He was in lust and his body was shaking with need to have her.

"So what about this one?" The twit beside him had asked yet again as they looked at something involving mirrors and paint.

"This one is nice." He didn't even look at what she was talking about.

"Jaqen what are you looking at?" His date looked to where he was staring.

"Something beautiful and fascinating." Jaqen tore his eyes away from Arya when the Bull had put Arya’s jacket back on her. He smirked because he knew that the Bull did not want anyone else to look at his prize.

"That thing made of the rusty and shiny parts? It is nice I guess." The girl shrugged and moved on to look at something in the back of the gallery. Jaqen followed her but still kept an eye on Arya.

He watched as Gendry walked away. He did not care what that insignificant boy did. He only had eyes for Arya. He was slightly disappointed that she had not even noticed him. Then he noted that she had not taken her eyes off the sculpture in front of her. He loved that she loved art the same way that he did. It was the thing that bonded them together in a way that she would never be connected to Gendry.

He was so involved in watching Arya and the way that she would tilt her head to the side, as she looked at the sculpture from every angle that he didn't see Varys until he was directly in front of him.

"Why if it isn't my favorite artist. I have not received anything from you in weeks." Varys said in a dry voice.

Jaqen had to blink rapidly. He had been to focused on Arya for so long on the other side of the room for so long that his eyes refused to focus on anything else.

"Varys. Nice to see you too. I have been busy."

"You only have a month before you leave for school in the East. Have you been painting?"

"Yes. But they are not for sale. I am keeping them." Jaqen kept his eyes trained on Arya. She was still absorbed in front of the sculpture.

"I see. You know she is with Gendry. They are here together. I know that they are in love with one another. There is no room for you. Move on boy." Varys let his voice get soft and deadly.

Jaqen had noticed that Varys had become disenchanted in his schemes to win Arya over. Varys had stopped giving him hints on what to do and how to do things. Jaqen noticed that over the last few months Varys had become protective of the lovely girl. When Jaqen was following Arya around Varys would show up and interrupt his watching. He had lost her that way three times in the last week because of his patron.

"You should stay out of this Varys. It is no concern of yours. You have no idea of what is going on with us. We are still close. She and I are friends; we have a connection that we cannot ignore. Something is drawing us together. She is not meant to be with Gendry. She is meant to be with me." Jaqen had taken his eyes off Arya to look at Varys.

He watched as Varys' eyes grew large as he watched the once levelheaded talented young man before him change into an obsessed predator. Jaqen felt that way sometimes as well. When he was following Arya, he had developed an animal like grace that he had always had, but had perfected as he stalked the girl of his dreams. Varys shivered and looked him deep in the eyes.

"Do not do anything stupid Jaqen. You have your whole life in front of you and an amazing opportunity with your art. Do not throw that away for some girl. Arya is amazing, but not the only thing in the world that matters." Varys was pleading with him to walk away from his love.

"You are wrong. Arya is the only thing that matters. She is everything." Jaqen turned his back on Varys. He went back to watching the object of his desire.

He stood there watching them until they left. They both had matching looks of lust and he knew that they were going go to go somewhere to have sex. The thought of Gendry rutting into Arya like an animal made his blood boil. His date walked over to him and smiled at him. He ignored her and continued to watch as Arya and Gendry headed out of the gallery and slid into his car. Arya had grabbed his neck kissed him in a vulgar way that made Jaqen clench his fist and shake.

"Jaqen are you alright?" His date asked, placing her hand on his arm.

He shook his anger off and looked at the girl beside him.

"Yes I am okay. We have been here long enough. Why don't we go have dinner?" He smiled at her and held out his arm. He decided that it was better to continue to be nice to the girl beside him to use as a cover. She smiled up at him and they walked out of the gallery.

Bran

Bran had been thinking about Meera in a different way for the last month since he started his treatment for his tumor. He had started to think of her as not just as a friend, but also as a beautiful girl that he wanted to get to know in a different way. He had realized that he had fallen for her. His best friend's sister. He had told Jojen his feelings and he had given his friend his blessing to go out with his sister, but Bran had not gotten up the courage to confess his feelings to her.

He was at home on Valentine's Day working on homework when he got a strange feeling. He had a feeling that he had to call her and make his move soon, before it was to late.

He picked up his phone and called Meera.

"Hello?"

"Meera, its Bran. I have a question." Bran had broken out in a cold sweat.

"Bran? Is everything okay? This sort of not the best time for me. I'm out on a date." Meera said.

Bran felt his stomach fall. She was on a date, of course she was. It was Valentine's Day. She was very beautiful and popular in the theater group. He should have known that she would not be alone on a day like this.

"Oh it's nothing Meera. We can talk later. Have fun on your date." Bran tried to not let how sad he felt intrude into his voice.

"Alright. Should I call you later tonight?" Meera sounded concerned. She was probably thinking it had something to do with his illness.

"No. It can wait until tomorrow. Go have fun. It can wait. Honest." Bran said his goodbyes and hung up the phone.

He decided to call Theon. Out of all his brothers Theon was the one who told the truth when it came to girls.

"Hello?!" Theron’s voice was drowned out by the boom boom boom of base and music in the background.

"Theon its Bran. Is it a bad time? I need some advice on a problem that I am having with a girl." Bran said to his brother.

"What? I can't really hear you. You have a problem with a girl? Did you get one pregnant? Is that the problem?" Theon shouted into the phone.

"No not that kind of problem. The girl that I like is older and is on a date right now, and she happens so be one of my best friend here. What do I do Theon?" Bran whined into the phone.

"Well little bro there is not much that I can tell you. If you think that this girl likes you then tell her. If you want to mess up your friendship, tell her. But if you are not sure then keep it quiet till things become clearer. I know that it sucks buddy, but something's are not easy." Theon was always more truthful then he should be.

"Really Theon? That's the advice that you give your kid brother with a tumor in his head? Wait and see? You do realize I could die at any moment?" Bran was grumpy and he was taking his bad attitude out on Theon.

"If you wanted to have a light optimistic fluffy answer you would have called Jon or Robb. You called me for the truth. Now you can either grow a pair and hope that this girl likes you back, despite the fact that she is older and on a date or you can keep quiet and continue to be her friend. It is up to you kid. That is all I have to say on the matter." Theon was so matter of fact that it Bran had to take his word for what he should do.

"Okay thanks Theon. I guess I have a lot to think about." Bran sighed.

"Okay. Bye kid." Theon hung up the phone.

Bran sat back and tried to think of what his brother had said. Did he really want to destroy his friendship with Meera? What did he really know about this date that she was on? Nothing. He knew nothing. But the real question was did he want to take the leap and change their lives or keep them the way that they were, stuck in the friend zone?

Myrcella

Aegon had talked her into staying home and watching a movie for their date, but she had really wanted ice cream so they had left her house to go get a bowl before getting their snuggle on back at her house.

"This better be the best ice cream in the world Cella. And you better make it up to me." Aegon flicked his eyes over to Tommen sitting in the back seat of one of her father’s cars.

"I will honey. I have it all planned out. I love you." She gave his leg a squeeze.

"I love you too. If I didn't I would not be here taking you and your kid brother for ice cream when I could be getting some." Aegon placed his hand on top of hers. They smiled at each other. Tommen made a gagging sound in the backseat and the two in front of the car laughed. "What is the matter Tommy? Not used to public display of affection?"

"No. It's just so gross to see you act like love sick weirdoes." Tommen said and Myrcella and Aegon laughed even harder.

"Don't worry kid. Someday you will fall in love and know what it is that I am feeling for your sister." Aegon looked in the rear view mirror.

Myrcella noticed that he kept his eyes in the mirror longer then needed. She looked behind them and noticed a dark colored car following them. She tried to see who was driving, but they were to far back and she was not able to see who it was. She got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. It had to be Joffery. He was still angry at Aegon for blowing up his car, not that he could prove that Aegon had a hand in it. She just hoped that he was not following them and causes a scene.

They pulled into the ice cream parlor and walked from the car into the shop. The car that was following them pulled into the parking lot across the street. It was still to dark to see who was driving, but she knew that it was someone watching for her. She was nervous. She held onto Aegon’s hand as they walked, a little tighter then she should have, but her nerves were over riding her common sense.

"Cella calm down. You are starting to make Tommen worried." Aegon whispered in her ear as they stood in line to order their ice cream.

"I am not trying to act differently, but that car has me on edge. I just know that they are here for me and Tommen." Myrcellas eyes were large and frightened. She had a feeling that they were in danger.

"Hey Myrcella can I have the Deluxe Banana Split with extra sprinkled?" Tommen's innocent voice intruded on her brooding of danger.

"Sure thing kid. You can have whatever you want." Aegon smiled at Tommen.

"You are the best Aegon. You should marry Myrcella so you can be my real big brother." Tommen gave Aegon a hug.

Myrcellas cheeks turned pink and Aegon looked like he had swallowed his tongue.

"It's a little to early to talk about weddings Tommy. There is no way that we are getting married yet. I haven't even finished high school. I want to go to college too, so if someday Argon wants to get married he is going to have to wait for a long time. But you have a pretty cool big brother. Remember?"

"Joffery is not cool Cella. He is scary." Tommen shuddered.

"Not Joffery silly goose. Gendry!" Cella smiled at her little brother.

"Oh yeah. I forgot about him being our brother now. He is so cool. Well now that he is in our family I guess that you don't have to marry Aegon now that we have Gendry." They all chuckled as they walked up to the counter and ordered their sundaes.

They made it to booth and were all talking and joking with one another as they ate their ice cream. Myrcella had forgotten about the mysterious car and the bad feeling that it had been giving her. That all changed when her mother walked in to the ice cream shop. Cersei was clearly intoxicated and very angry. She stumbled over to their table and looked down at her son and daughter. They sat there and looked at her with fear naked on their faces. They knew what she was capable of and were afraid that she would explode right there in the shop.

"Well well well. Don't you three look happy?" Cersei slurred.

"Mom, this is not the place." Myrcella said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Do not tell me that this is not the place you little bitch. If it was not for you I would have my son with me." Cersei spat.

"Mrs. Baratheon this is not the time or the place. We are just trying to enjoy our ice cream and have a good time. I am sure that we can arrange a time and a place for you to talk to your children." Aegon said in a clam soothing tone of voice.

Cersei turned on him then. "You stay out of this you mother fucker. You are the reason that she is nothing more than a whore." Cersei’s hand started fly back to hit Aegon.

Just then, Jamie walked in and stopped Cersei from slapping Aegon.

"No wonder your kids don't want to be with you. You are nothing but an abusive bitch and a drunk." Aegon spat as he wrapped his arms around the crying Myrcella and Tommen. "I can also see where Joffery learned it from. To beat on the small and weak."

"Watch what you say boy. Cersei is sick right now. She wants her children. You are doing nothing but making things worse." Jamie said in a cool calm tone.

"Uncle Jamie can you please get her out? She is causing a scene and people are watching." Myrcella said her voice thick with tears.

Jamie looked at his niece and she saw tears gleaning in his eyes. She finally realized that he was as tormented by her mother as she was. But unlike her Jamie had never walked away from Cersei. He had always stood by her and always would.

"She just wants to see you Myrcella. You and Tommy cannot avoid her forever." His votive was full of sorrow.

"We are not avoiding her. Tommen and I choose not to see her. She has lied and hurt us for to many years. If she chooses to change like father then we would make an effort to see her." Myrcella told her uncle who held onto her sobbing mother. Myrcella knew that her mother could hear what she was saying. She knew that her mother would either take what she had to say to heart or ignore it.

"It is time that we leave here. Come on Cersei. Myrcella has been very clear with the conditions for being able to see her and Tommen. We will work on it. We will show her that you are a good person again." Jamie was saying, but Myrcella felt like he was saying this to himself more then to Cersei.

"I love you mommy, but you scare me." Tommen's small voice said from the side of Aegon. Cersei and Myrcella both started to cry again. They waited until Cersei and Jamie walked out and were no longer visible from the window.

Aegon lead the brother and sister from the ice cream shop to their car. They drove back to the Red Keep without saying a word. Tommen said that he wanted to be alone when they got to the house and he walked to his room. Myrcella lead Aegon to her room and they lay on her bed and he held her as she cried. When she had no more tears for her mother they just laid there with their arms around one another.

"You are an amazing woman My Cella and I am so proud of you." Aegon wiped the hair off her face. He placed a tender kiss on her lips. She sighed into his lips and molded her body to his. She rested her head on his and she enjoyed the love that was radiating off his body and let it soak into her.

"I would not know what I would do without you. You make all this bad shit not seem so bad. I am glad that you picked me." She snuggled into his body a little more.

"I am a huge idiot. You were there the whole time, but I never saw you. I am glad that I have finally opened my eyes and saw you. Hot Pie says that we are perfect for each other. We will make the perfect blond spawn as he calls them." His arms tightened around her.

"Blond spawn? Hot Pie always knows what to say." She chuckled with him.

They spent the rest of the evening together on her bed in her room laughing, talking, and making out. There was no fuss or stress after that. They just bonded closer together. She felt so blessed to have him love her and to love him in return. She fell asleep in his arms and when he had to leave for the night Aegon gave her one last kiss and whispered that she was the whole world to him. She smiled in her sleep and clung to the pillow that replaced him in her arms.

It might not have started out as the Valentines date that she wanted or envisioned, but it meant more to her that he had stayed by her in the good times and the bad. She had never had real love in her life until he came into it. He was not the only one that had been blind, she had been too. She was so glad that they were now both able to see how special and important they were to one another. For the first night in as long as she remembered she went to sleep at peace and slept through the night.

Sandor

He had not been able to take his eyes away from Sansa since the first moment that he had seen her at the Stark house. She was breath taking. He was so shocked that she was now going on a date with him, that she liked him. That after everything that she went through she was still able to trust him and let him be close to her. They were in the car driving up to the observatory for their date. She knew that they were going to be there, but she had no idea that they were having a romantic dinner there as well under the simulated stars, complete with a string quartet and a first rate meal.

"I have a small gift for you." Sansa’s sweet voice floated over to him.

"You do?" He was surprised that she had really got him a gift. They had discussed exchanging gifts, but he had figured that she was not serious about it. He had gotten her the flowers as her gift. She knew that she liked them.

"Yes I do. I hope that you like it. Do you want it now, or at the observatory?"

"The observatory. I have a surprise there for you." Sandor smiled at Sansa and reached his hand out to hold hers for the remainder of the drive. Her hand was so small and warm. He would have been content to just sit there with her in the car and hold her hand the entire night.

They pulled into the parking lot and the path was lit with dozens of candles burning to show them the way. Candles continued to light their path into the observatory and there were different members of the staff there to open their doors and smile at them. Sansa had made a small intake of breath at the splendor of what he had created for her. His large hand was still clasped in her small one.

When they reached the main room where the star show was shown.The owner of the observatory led them to the table that they would be having dinner at. Not only was there lights that looked like stars lighting the large space, but dozens of candles were as well. Sandor knew that the sight that met them shocked Sansa. She slowed down do soak all the beauty in and Sandor watched it all pass over her face.

"Sandor this is amazing. How did you do this?" Sansa asked.

"Not only do I work here, but my family had been one of the sponsors for many many years. We may not have a lot of money, but what we have we use well." Sandor shrugged.

"It is amazing." Sansa said as Sandor pulled out the chair for her to sit at the table.

Sandor sat across from her and they just looked around the beauty of the place. The soft muted light of the candles accented the romantic aspect of the giant room that they were in. The string quartet started playing as they were sitting there looking up at the ceiling. Then the salad arrived. Sansa gave a smile as she started eating.

Sandor had planned the meal for them with the things that he knew that Sansa liked. Salad, grilled cheese and stake fries with cinnamon rolls for desert. It was all simple food, but all food that she loved. As they ate, they talked about what they wanted to do with their lives once they were no longer in high school.

"I think that I want to work with people who have been abused or traumatized." Sansa was saying as they talked about the feature. "I had not ever thought that counseling people would have been something that I would want to do a few months ago, but after everything that happened with Joffery and seeing a counselor myself now I feel like I will be able to help people."

"You would be very good at that Sansa. You have a huge heart and I know that you have helped me since the first time that I met you blocking my way into that party thrown for your family. I used to be the Dog or the Hound and do whatever I was told. Then I met you and you made me want to defend someone for the first time in my life. I have not beat up, intimidated or bullied anyone since you came into my life."

Sansa reached across the table and took his hand in his. She gave a small pull on his hand and leaned up in her chair. Sandor mirrored her movements and their lips met across the table. It was their first kiss that they had shared without having to hide or be guilty about. It was soft and sweet and everything that Sandor had dreamed it would be. They broke from their kiss and Sandor had his breath catch at how beautiful Sansa looked when she blushed in candle light.

When their meal was over Sansa slid a box across the table to him. He opened it and was surprised to see a medallion that looked like a dog tag. He pulled it out and saw that the constellation of Perseus was engraved on the metal. He held it in his hand and just looked at it.

"Do you like it?" Sansa’s voice whispered across the small table.

"I do like it. I really do. But he is missing his Andromeda." He looked over at Sansa and finally noticed that she had a small box clasped in her hand as well.

"I have her here." Sansa pulled out the matching medallion.

"Do you need me to put it on you?" Sandor's voice was soft as he looked into Sansa’s eyes.

"Yes please." Sansa breathed out her reply.

He got up from the table and walked around to stand behind Sansa. His hands were trembling as he took the necklace gently between his large fingers. He swiped her hair away from her neck and she felt a shiver run through her at this touch. He draped the new necklace around her neck. Before he let her hair fall back, he bent down and placed a small kiss on the back of her neck. Sansa let a moan escape her as his warm lips rested on her sensitive skin.

The music from the string quartet wafted to them and Sandor remembered that they were not alone. He let the curtain of her hair fall back into place and returned to his seat. Their meal now over the table was cleared and they were lead to the reclining chairs so they could look at the ceiling to watch the star show.

The automated star show started to swirl above them. They watched as the Milky Way danced and shined above them. Sometime during the show, Sansa had decided that her chair was not good enough for her so she slid into his and she laid on his, her head on his broad chest his arm around her waist. When the constellations of Perseus and Andromeda appeared in the sky, Sansa snuggled into him and placed a kiss on his neck. Sandor traced his hand up and down her back. His hand slid up under the cover that she had slipped on. The exposed skin on her back was soft and warm. Sandor traced the constellations on her back and loved how each stroke of his hand on her back made her shiver with delight.

Sansa finally could not take it anymore, leaned up on her elbows, and pressed her mouth to his. She was aggressive and demanding. Sansa ended up straddling Sandor and he watched her hungrily as her dress rose up to expose the pale soft flesh of her thighs. Sandor placed his hands on her thighs and marveled that they were even softer then they looked. He gulped for air as she leaned back down and claimed his lips again. His fingers massaged her legs while Sansa’s hands snuck into his hair. Sansa ground herself into him where their pelvises were fused. Sandor’s growing desire threatened to burst from the prison of his pants. He desperately wanted to burry himself into her soft flesh and make love to her, but they had agreed to move slow.

He let one of his hands slide from her back to the top of her chest. He traced his hand softly on the exposed part of her milky globes. Sansa whimpered at his heated touch worked her thigh and breast at the same time as they kissed. She wanted more so she helped his hand slide inside the tight black material of her dress and inside her bra. Sandor found her already erect nipple and he gently tugged at it to expose it to the air.

Sandor broke from their kiss and attacked her red nipple with hunger. His tongue explored the soft tender skin of her breast. Sansa was holding onto his head not allowing his mouth to break contact with her tender flesh. Sansa’s breath was coming out with soft pants and her back was arched in bliss. Sandor could hardly contain himself, but he would for her. She continued to writhe and grind herself into him. Her hips were making small nudging motions against him, making his hand that was still attached to her thigh move closer and closer to her heated center.

"Oh touch me Sandor. Touch me." Sansa whimpered as his hand brushed the fabric of her panties in one of her desperate hip movements.

Sandor broke his mouth contact from her even redder nipple then it had been before he started. He kept his hands still where they were. He was afraid that if he broke contact with her body she would change her mind.

"Really? You want me to touch you? Here?" His hand brushed the front of her panties with his palm. He was surprised to find that they were already wet with her lust and desire.

"Yes" She growled. "More. I want more Sandor. Touch me!"

That was the last straw for Sandor. He pulled her mouth back to his and slid his finger past the thin fabric that was protecting her sex. He found her slit and he slid his finger into her. Her body shook and rocked, but she never broke contact with his mouth. He started to pump his finger in and out of her and his thumb found the bud of her clit, rubbing it in small circles as he slid his finger in and out of her.

"More." She murmured into his mouth.

Sandor slid another finger into her. Now she had two of his large fingers buried inside her. She started to hitch her hips with the rhythm of his thrusts of his hand. She was quivering and shaking above him and he knew that he was close to making her come. He worked her header and faster, pumping his hand and circling her clit. He felt her clench around his fingers and her body went ridged for a few seconds before she collapsed on top of him in bliss.

She peppered his neck with small kisses and snuggled her body closer into him. She was sitting on top of his large proof of his desire for her.

"I have never felt like that before. Is it sad for me to admit that you are my first real orgasm?" She giggled into his neck.

"No sweet. It is not weird. Most guys don't know how to make a girl come." He stroked her back.

"Do you want me to, you know, do something to you?" She asked in a shy fashion.

"No sweet. It's okay. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. I don't want to pressure you into something that you are not ready for." He continued to stroke her back.

"I want to really I do. I just don't think I can yet." She admitted.

"It is fine love." He reassured her once again.

"What did I do to get you? You are the kindest, sweetest most considerate person that I know."

"Just don't go broadcasting that around. I have a reputation to protect." They both laughed as they shared the chair and watched as the stars swirled above them.

Arya

The part of the date to the art gallery was so amazing. Gendry had done something that she had loved and she was eager to show him that she appreciated his effort to give her the best date she had ever had. Arya had planned on getting a room at one of the hotels in town and have them order room service and eating it from bed.

"So we need to take the next right into down town." She said directing him to where they were having the rest of their date.

"Down town huh?" Gendry turned on his blinker and took the turn. They drove until they got to the front of the hotel that Arya had decided to use.

She had seen an old grand place in a movie when she was growing up and she had always wanted to go there. They pulled up to the front of the place and someone came to open the door of the car.

Arya slid out of the seat and Gendry followed her. They walked hand and hand into the warm interior of the hotel and it was if they had stepped back in time to the 1920's. Arya smiled as she sauntered up to the desk. She slipped out of her jacket and rested it on her arm. She smiled as Gendry’s Adams Apple bobbed drinking in the sight of her see through dress. The man behind the check in counter smiled as he looked up from the registration book. His eyes roamed over her body and Gendry put his arm firmly around her.

"How can I help you this evening?" The man asked.

"We have a reservation. Under Stark." Arya fished a credit card out of her small clutch.

"Oh yes we have it here. You are in the tower room." The deskman snapped his fingers and another young man appeared. "Please take the young couple to their room."

They followed the bellhop to an old caged elevator and Arya was sure that the deskman was watching her ass. Gendry was scowling the whole way and she couldn't help but chuckle at his protectiveness.

"So what do you think of my half of the date?" She asked as they walked down the hallway. Her hand was in his and she smiled a sensual smile at him.

"I thought that we were going to have dinner, not go to a hotel and get a room."

"Oh we are going to have dinner lovey. Just wait a little while longer." She slipped her hand into his pocket and tickled the bits of him that she could reach from that position.

He grabbed her wrist and looked at the bellhop. He shook his head and she continued to flex her fingers in his pocket. She just continues to give him an "I-don't-care-who's-watching" smile.

"Here is the tower. If you need anything, do not be afraid to call down to room service. Have a good night." The bellhop tipped his hat and walked away from the lovebirds.

They walked into the room and both stopped dead. The room was round with a large bed surrounded by mirrors, an entire wall of windows that looked out over the city and living room area and dining room table as well. Arya stepped away from Gendry to look for the bathroom. It had a large jet filled tub in it as well as a standing steam shower with many showerheads that surrounded the room.

"Arya this room is way to much. It must be costing you a shit load of money. Tell me how much and I will pay half."

"Don't worry Gendry. I put it on Robb's credit card. I stole it from his wallet at Christmas and was saving it for a special occasion." She winked at him.

"You are way to mischievous Arya Stark. Do you know that?" He walked over to her and swung her up into his arms. Her legs snaked around his lean waist and she pressed her lips to his.

"I love you, you stupid fool."

"I love you too. But I am really really hungry. Where is my food my lady?"

She slid off him allowing her dress to ride up her thighs and expose the tops of her stalking's.

"You want food? All right. Why is it that men are ruled by two things? Their cocks and their stomachs?" She went to retrieve the menu and looked it over. Gendry kept reaching for it to pick out something form it to eat but she kept it just out of his reach. "Will you let me look first? I am the one footing the bill here."

"God you are a pain in the ass sometimes. Now stop messing around. I am hungry!" He lunged for the menu and they tumbled onto the bed together. They became distracted and forgot all about food as they rolled and kissed around on the king size bed. "Now I really am starving."

Arya snatched the phone and the menu and ordered strawberries and whipped cream and chocolate sauce. And as an afterthought she threw in some sandwiches and fries with sodas.

"That's it? There are so many tasty things on this menu and you pick sandwiches and fries? I feel ripped off!" Gendry huffed and pouted.

"Oh shut that mouth of yours. I have things that will make it worth your while." She waggled her eyebrow at her lover.

They sat on the bed and continued to kiss and tease one another until the room service arrived. Arya skipped to the door and retrieved the food from the same bellhop that showed them to the room. She took the trolley, gave him a tip, and skipped back to Gendry with the food trolley.

"Now my sexy lover, you better be in nothing but your boxers when I get back from that bathroom. And no eating while I am in there."

Arya walked slowly into the bathroom making sure that she shook her ass to give him a nice view. She got into the bathroom, slid out of the dress, and stood there in her undergarments. She checked herself on the mirror to make sure that she still looked good and sauntered out into the main room.

Gendry was sitting on the bed resting on the bank of pillows. When he saw her, he licked his lips and smiled at her. She walked to the food trolley and she pulled the covers off the whipped cream, fruit and chocolate sauce.

"So I was thinking that we would start with desert tonight." She swiped her finger in the whipped cream and licked it off, letting her finger linger in her mouth for a moment before taking another swipe of the cream and trailing it along her cleavage.

"So you are the desert and I get a treat?" He crawled down to the foot of the bed, grabbed her around the hips, and let the tip of his tongue trace her cleavage where the desert topping had started to melt.

She shivered and threw her head back.

"Mm mm. That feels like heaven." She dipped a strawberry with the chocolate and held it to her mouth and he came up and took a bite of it at the same time that she did.

They shared some more dipped fruit and drizzled things over one another's exposed body parts. Gendry let his tongue grazed and roamed over her body as he hungrily devoured her body and the deserts. The prelude was hot and steamy and by the end of their playing around, they were giggling, covered in sweets, and Gendry was fully erect.

"Arya if we don't stop messing around I am going to explode!" Gendry yelled as she licked the chocolate off his large erect cock. She pouted her lips and kissed her way from its base to his tip then let her tongue get one last drop of chocolate off.

She let go of him, slid off the bed, and walked into the bathroom. "Well are you coming?"

She turned on the shower, took her bra and panties off, and slid into the steaming shower. Gendry bolted off the bed and into the shower to join her. She was soaping her body up and rubbing the suds over her legs so her back was to him and he got an eye full of her body from the back. He stripped off his boxers and pressed his engorged member against the entrance of her from the back. He gently entered her and she closed her eyes and sighed. She loved it when he filled her. He started to move in and out of her slowly, causing them both to shudder.

"Oh fuck Arya you are so tight."

She was still slightly bent and her hands were gripping the controls of the shower. She activated more of the jets and steam. Arya hitched her hips and met the base of him. She whimpered and he groaned. He dug his fingers into her hips and pumped into her.

"Faster Gendry. Harder and faster!" Arya demanded.

Gendry knew that if he didn't do as she asked she would do it for him and it was not that often that she allowed him to call some of the shots. Arya let her hand find her nub and his hand found her hand there as well. They worked each other to their climax, they shouted out their release at the same moment, and she collapsed on the wall of the shower. He pulled out of her and wrapped his arms around her. They stood under the jets of the hot water and let the hot water relax their sore sex strained muscles.

She turned in his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all the love, passion, and desire that she had for him.

"I love you Gendry. But if I have to hear that stomach of yours grumble one more time I am going to find me a guy that doesn't need as much food as you do." She kissed him one more time then shut off the water.

Gendry laughed as he stepped out, wrapped a towel around himself, and walked out or the bathroom to eat the sandwich that she had ordered.

"As you command boss lady." He said looking over his shoulder at her as she dried her hair before pulling on a robe.

Arya just rolled her eyes and followed him out of the bathroom to have a meal and snuggle until it was time for her to go home for the night.

 


	28. Trial And Tribulations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a courtroom chapter and I hope that it isn't a dull read and is entertaining. But on that note the subject matter is serious. Please realize most of my courtroom knowledge is from TV shows and movies. Read, enjoy and let me know what you think.

Sansa

Assistant district attorney Tyrell had told her to dress modestly. She was in a black knee length skirt and a plain white blouse with a grey button up cardigan over it. The A/C was making her shiver slightly. Sansa sat in the courtroom and watched Joffery sit at the table on the left hand side of the courtroom. He looked pissed and did not seem to be paying attention to what his attorney was telling him. She reached over and touched Arya’s hand on her right side and Sandor’s on the left. They were giving her the strength to get up out of gallery and face the person who had violated her. It was the first day of the trial and Sansa was determined to be there every day of it until a decision was reached.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Jeor Mormont." The bailiff's voice boomed across the spacious courtroom.

Everyone rose and stood until the judge sat. He arranged his note pads and nodded to the ADA. Willas Tyrell stood and faced the jury for his opening statement.

"Ladies and gentlemen we are here today to seek justice for a brave young woman who was violated by this young man here." He pointed to Joffery. "You will hear evidence from the police about what they discovered. You will see photographs of the poor brave girl after a brutal attack. The doctors will tell you about the injuries that she suffered at this boy’s hand. You will hear of this terrifying ordeal from her own lips. Nevertheless, the defense will tell you that this is all a lie concocted by the prosecution and police to destroy the defendant's good name. That he did not understand that what he was doing was against her will. However, we will show you that this upstanding young man is nothing but a depraved deviant that needs to learn for the first time in his life that there are consequences to his actions. That you cannot get away with forcing yourself on a woman or that it is all right to beat her if she says no. I am hoping that you will find the defendant guilty of both rape and oral copulation.” He paused and looked at the jury members in the eyes. “Let us give this girl and many others who have not come forward a voice; and the power to say that no is enough to stop attacks like this in the future."

He turned away from the podium and walked back to his table. His assistants were nodding and smiling at him. He had done well. His opening statement had not been too graphic or overly depictive. It was to the point and kept the juries attention. Many of them looked at Joffery as if he was a worm.

Sansa cringed every time that the ADA said the victim. She was the victim, the reason for this whole thing. She knew that she was going to be called up to the stand after the detectives were interviewed, the ER doctors, and the photographs of her face shown. She would get up and take the stand. Sansa was not going sit in the courtroom the entire time; she just wanted to see the opening statement. After they were made she would sit out in the hall awaiting her turn to testify, but she would not miss a day of this trail.

The defense attorney sat up straight and arranged his papers. He looked them over once again, touched Jofferys shoulder and stood. He was an old man, with a long beard and deep wrinkles on his face. Sansa knew from Myrcella that Cersei had wanted her brother Tyrion to represent her son in the trail, but he had declined because he was working on the divorce between Robert and Cersei. Sansa had smiled when she had learned this. Bran had said that Tyrion was one of the best attorneys in the state and had never lost a case. She knew that the Lannister’s would not spare any expenses on defending their name and Joffery as well, but they would not have Tyrion at the helm.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are not here denying that something tragic happened the night of the romantic date that my client and the so called victim went on together. They enjoyed a nice dinner, shared some drinks and then went home. My client had, like most teenage boys, figured that his girlfriend was just showing him some attention. The only thing that my client is guilty of is being young and male. He did not realize that Miss Stark was not consenting to the act that he is accused of doing. Now the prosecution will have testimony of many people telling you that Joffery Lannister is nothing more then a manipulative vindictive person, but that is not true. He is an upstanding young man with a promising future ahead of him. If you find my client guilty of this crime, you will be destroying his life. One full of potential and promise." The attorney went and took his seat.

Compared to ADA Tyrell’s opening statement the defenses statement was almost bland. He spoke without passion or belief in his words. Almost as if he was unsure why they were even there to begin with. Sansa suspected that his manner was a ploy to get the jury questioning the valid to her case against his client. She hoped it would not work.

Judge Mormont cleared his throat and looked over at both attorneys. "Mr. Tyrell and Mr. Pycelle are you finished with your opening statements?"

"The prosecution is your Honor." Willas answered.

"So is the defense your Honor." Mr. Pycelle said.

"You may call your first witness for the prosecution Mr. Tyrell." Judge Mormont said.

Sansa stood and walked out of the courtroom. She was not going to be able to sit there and hear what the detectives described about her injuries and the state of her face when she first walked into the police room. She did not want to see the pictures of her face black, blue, and bloody. She shifted out of the bench seat and she clung onto Sandor’s hand. He stood and walked out of the room with her.

She burst through the doors as the ADA called Detective Bronn to the stand. Sansa’s head was swimming and she was dizzy. She stumbled over to a trashcan and threw up. She stood there leaning over the can and shook with tears of fear and trepidation. Sandor was rubbing soothing circles on her shoulders. She whipped her face and turned to let Sandor envelop her in a hug.

"It is alright Sansa. You are doing the right thing. This is the right thing." He whispered into her hair as he held her.

"I know. But it is still frightening. I don't know if I can get up on that stand and let that old man ask me questions about that night. I can tell ADA Tyrell what happened because I have done that before, but not the defense attorney. And Joffery is sitting right there. He will be watching me the entire time. Sandor I am scared." It was the first time that Sansa admitted of being frightened out loud at testifying in opened court.

"You will do great Sansa. I know that you can do anything and you will do great at this. I am here right beside you and so are your family and friends. We are all here behind you." Sandor kissed her on the forehead. Sansa sagged into him and she just let him hold her.

They sat down on a bench and waited for Arya to come tell them when they come back in to the courtroom. Sansa was sure that she was going to have to wait all day. In an hour and a half, the bailiff came out and called Sansa to the stand. She took a deep shuddering breath, Sandor gave her hand a small squeeze and she stood from the bench and walked in to the courtroom.

Sansa tried not to look at anyone as she passed them. She did not look at her family on the right side of the aisle or the Lannister’s on the left. She kept her eyes locked to the base of the judge's bench where a large engraving of Lady Justice was located. If Sansa did everything that she had been told to do by the ADA and tell the truth there was no way that she could fail.

Sansa took her seat at the witness stand and was sworn in to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. She finally let her eyes wander across the gallery and they stopped when she saw the love and support from her parents, the pride on her sister's face and the love from Sandor. She smiled at them and knew in that moment that no matter what happened she would be able to do this.

"Miss Stark can you tell us in your own words what happened on the night of your attack?" ADA Tyrell asked her in a calm soothing voice. He smiled at her and she took comfort in his kind eyes and started telling her tale.

“It was the night of mine and the defendant’s anniversary. We had been dating for a few months. He invited me on a date to Highgarden. We had a lovely. I thought we were having a good time. We had been having issues lately, but with that date, I thought we had turned a new page. When. The meal was over we ‘repaired to drive back home. We were in the car when.” She took a deep shuddering breath and couldn’t stop from shuddering.

“It is alright Ms. Stark. I know this is a difficult story. Take your time and continue.” Mr. Tyrell said soothingly.

She took a deep breath, looked up and found Sandor. He gave her an encouraging smile. She took his courage and wrapped it around her like a cloak.

“We were in the car and the defendant asked me why I had never, why I had never been intimate with him. I told him I wasn’t ready for that yet, that I wanted to save myself for the right man. Then he became frustrated and angry. He unzipped his pants, exposed himself to me and told me to, that I should.” She closed her eyes. She remembered it all. She took that memory and let her fear and disgust to enter her voice.

“He told me to take him into my mouth. When I refused, he reached for me. I was struggling so he took a fist full of my hair and pulled my face down to his, his private area. I didn’t want to be there, I said no, struggled. When I resisted he twisted my hair so I cried out. When my mouth was opened, he forced him inside my mouth. I was gagging and choking. I didn’t know what to do. I bit down. He released me and hit me in the face hard. I opened the car door and escaped on the turn off we had been sitting in the car. It was raining. I stumbled in the mud till I found shelter in the trees. He looked for me, but gave up and left me on the side of the road, stranded, alone and frightened.”

“Thank you Ms. Stark. I have a few more questions to ask.” He smiled at her. She knew the questions that were to come. They had talked about them in prep. “Had the defendant ever hurt you, prior to the attack?”

“On New Year’s Eve he hit me, causing me to fall and break my arm.” She said to the attorney.

“And had he ever shown any signs of extreme behavior?” He asked.

“Yes. Once at a party I found him with another girl, in the woods. They were together. The defendant became violent on that occasion. I ran away when I found him there. Then there was the altercation I witnessed with the defendant and his sister. He has a temper. But on the night of the attack, it was the first time he used it on me. Or the second time, if you count my arm.” She said.

“Thank you Miss Stark. No further questions.” He smiled at her and walked back to his table. She lifted the glass of water the bailiff gave her and took a sip. It was now the defenses turn to question her.

Mr. Pycelle stood and walked out from behind the defense table. He smiled at Sansa, but she wasn't fooled by his kind grandfather act. She knew that he was a snake on the payroll of the Lannister’s and that he would try to get her to do something or say something to make herself look stupid and incredible in the eyes of the jury. She steeled herself for the barrage of questions that she knew were coming her way.

"Miss Stark the story that you told was very compelling and tragic. Now which parts of it were the lies and what was the truth. Remember that you are under oath and must tell the truth." He gave her a tired look, as if she was a petulant child.

Sansa blinked and looked at this old man before her. She knew that he would say something like this but not so soon into the cross-examination.

"Objection Your Honor. The defense is badgering the witness." Mr. Tyrell sprung to his feet.

"Mr. Pycelle can you restrain yourself from abusing the witness for a second time?" Judge Mormont asked.

"Yes Your Honor. Let me rephrase the question. Miss Stark did you leave anything out of the story that you just told." He gave her a cool look.

Sansa closed her eyes and thought back to what she had just told the court. She told them about how the evening had gone fantastically, how the meal was amazing and how Joffery had been charming and kind. Then on the ride home, he had forced himself into her mouth and when she broke away after he had hit her. That was the truth to the night and she did not feel like she had left anything out.

"No sir I do not think that I left anything out." She was polite and tried to keep the anger out of her voice.

"So you do not recollect that you also had drunk a glass of wine at dinner that night, or that my client also consumed alcohol?" He said with his smooth voice.

"I do remember mentioning that fact to the detectives and I had been told that they would bring that fact up to the court. But you are correct that there was a consumption of alcohol that night." Sansa blinked and felt the shame of having drunk anything that night all over again.

"So you admit that you and my client consumed an entire bottle of wine that evening?" Mr. Pycelle asked.

"No. I had one glass of a white wine of some kind and Joffery drank an entire bottle of red wine. I only had the one. The detectives and the ER doctors can verify the amount of alcohol on my system was below the legal limit. I was not intoxicated." Sansa replied truthfully.

"Yes, the reports do indicate that you were not drunk. Now when you were in the car with my client what the topic of conversation that you were discussing was?"

“Objection, your honor. The whiteness already told us what they were talking about. What is the relevance?” Tyrell said, shooting to her feet.

“Overruled. Mr. Pycelle, I am giving you leeway here with your line of questioning. Tried lightly.” Judge Mormont said.

“Yes Your Honor. Now Miss Stark, answer the question again for the court.” He turned away from her.

"We were talking about why I had not had sex with your client." The ADA had advised Sansa to avoid saying Jofferys name.

"You were not having sex with my client? But you were his girlfriend. You must have felt as if he was someone you could see yourself with for the long run. Surely you wanted to have intercourse with him." He turned back to her, spread his arms wide, waiting for an answer.

"I do not think that is any of your business weather I intended to have sexual relations with your client." Sansa shot back.

"Your Honor can you compel the witness to answer the question?" Mr. Pycelle turned to the judge.

"Objection." ADA Tyrell said as he stood and shouted. "Relevance?"

"Credibility and motive Your Honor. I am trying to illustrate the frame of mind of both my client and that of the witness on the night of the attack." He gave that harmless old man look and made sure the jury saw him do it.

"I will allow it. Ms. Stark answer the question." The judge looked over to Sansa and she nodded her head.

"I was not sexually attracted to your client sir. I started dating him because I was new to town and did not know people here. Your client made me welcome and introduced me to people. Then after a few weeks of us dating, my sister and I found him up against a tree at a party having sex with another girl. After that I lost my desire to have sex with him." She answered truthfully. “But I have previously stated this today.”

"So were no longer attracted to my client?" Mr. Pycelle asked.

Sansa closed her eyes and took a breath. She would tell the truth. She would do that here and now.

"I did find him attractive, but I was not interested in remaining his girlfriend. After your clients altercation with his sister's boyfriend I felt afraid to admit to him that I wanted to break up with him. On the evening of the attack, I was going to tell him that I no longer wanted to be with him. I just never got the chance." Sansa looked in the eyes of the attorney and fought not to look at Joffery sitting at the table.

"You were braking up with my client? Then why didn't you do it before you left on the date?" His voice was confused. She looked at the jury and saw they were as well.

"Because I was not able to get up the courage to do it. I was going to but I just didn't know how." Sansa’s voice shook.

"So you were leading my client on?" He sounded tired now.

"No. I intended to break things off with him. I just never got the chance to do that." She was starting to feel like she was on trial.

"So on the night of the attack you were going to break up with him and decided to have a drink first. Then you got into the car and started talking about sex. Then my client, not knowing your intentions of wanting to break up with him, started to engage in a sex act with you. Is that correct?" Mr. Pycelle said with a more aggressive stance and voice.

"He didn't just engage in a sex act. He forced himself on me. I had no intention of any kind to have any sort of sex with your client. He was aware of that fact based on the conversation that we had been having. What he did was rape." Sansa's voice caught and she feared that she would break down and cry right there on the stand.

"Did you tell him to stop?" Mr. Pycelle asked.

"Objection. There is no reason for her to have had to say no and it still being considered as rape. She previously stated she had said no. She had not consented to the act, which is all that matters in the state of California." ADA Tyrell said jumping to Sansa’s defense.

"Agreed. Mr. Pycelle watch the line of your questioning. You are treading on a slippery slope here." Judge Mormont said from the bench.

"Sorry Your Honor it will not happen again. Redirect?" The judge nodded his head. "Now Miss Stark would you tell me again how you got my client to stop engaging in the sex act that you were performing on my client?" He shot at her.

"I was not performing a sex act on him. He was forcing his penis down my throat and the only way to stop him was to bite him. That is when he hit…"

Sansa was cut off by an impatient wave of the attorney’s hand.

"So you admit to assaulting my client?" He demanded.

"Yes, but only…"

"That is all. No further questions." He walked back to his table.

"Redirect Your Honor?" ADA Tyrell asked standing up and limping out from behind the table.

The attorney nodded his head and showed that he approved of the request.

"Ms. Stark what were you trying to tell the defense attorney before you were interrupted?"

"I was trying to say that after I bet the defendant he started to beat me and I was only just able to escape his car and ran out into the rain to get away from further humiliation and abuse. I was frightened and hurt. I did what I had to do to stay away from further abuse." She felt the tears gather in her eyes.

"Thank you Miss Stark. No further questions." ADA Tyrell smiled at her in a comforting manner.

"You may step down Miss Stark." The judge looked at her from his bench.

Sansa walked away from the witness stand and her eyes finally flittered over to Joffery. He had a look of disgust and hatred on his face. She felt the first tingles of fear radiating from her head to her feet. She let her eyes swing over the jury. Some looked at her in sympathy and others looked at her like she was making the whole thing up. Her fear was that they had not believed her, that Joffery would be walking free and that she would be nothing but a walking target for Joffery and his bullies to hurt and torment for the rest of her life. There was no way that she would be able to escape him if he was allowed to walk free.

Arya

Arya had never wanted to strangle and kill another human being as much as she wanted to kill Joffery Lannister. She found it perfect that he was no longer a Baratheon. Myrcella and Tommen were well rid of him. She was still a little shocked that Gendry was Roberts's son, but she was glad that he finally knew the truth. His mother and Robert were starting a relationship. Helen Waters was a much better woman for the Baratheon family then Cersei Lannister had ever been. It had been a slight adjustment for Gendry, but he was taking things better then she had first thought.

Sansa had just left the courtroom and the detectives were taking the stand. Bronn told the court about his initial interview with Sansa and Ned and herself. He spoke about Sansa's evident shock over the encounter with Joffery and showed the pictures that they had taken as well. Arya’s stomach made a flip-flop when she saw the violence that Joffery had inflicted on her sisters beautiful face. Bronn then went on to describe the interview with Joffery.

"When Mr. Baratheon, I mean Lannister, was being interviewed he was very cocky and was very evasive when Detective Yoren and myself questioned him. He referred to Miss Stark being and I quote "An ice bitch that got what she deserved." We took that as an indication that he was guilty of what Miss Stark was accusing him of. He took no heed from what his attorney advised. Once all the evidence was collected we made a formal arrest." Bronn finished telling his recollections of the events.

"What was some of the evidence that you found added up to his guilt?" ADA Tyrell asked.

"We interviewed some of the people that know him and found out that he had done things of this nature before. None of the victims felt comfortable coming forward, but they corroborate the story that Miss Stark had told to me. And the injuries that she had suffered backed up the claim as well as her previously broken arm." He was serious, but despite that, she glimpsed the innate playfulness running inside him.

"The defendant broke the victims arm on a previous occasion?" Mr. Tyrell asked.

"Yes. According to the victim's father and the ER doctor that treated Miss Stark on both of her visits. He fractured her left radius." He was leaning forward in his chair now. He had an angry look in his eyes as they swept over to look at Joffery.

"Thank you detective. No further questions."

Arya sat there and watched as the old moldy attorney Pycelle stood up and started in on his cross of Detective Bronn. Arya let a smug smile tug at her lips, as the attorney could not faze the tough as nails detective. Next, his partner Detective Yoren was called. He gave a more in depth account of their interview with Joffery.

"At this point we let Mr. Lannister know that he was guilty of a crime after he admitted to having struck Miss Stark and that he would have charges brought up against him. Then with his mother and attorney present, he started to openly say atrocious things about Ms. Stark, as did Mrs. Lannister. When we told them, we were recording the session they broke down crying. It was then that we ended the interview." Detective Yoren concluded for the court.

"Thank you detective. That was most insightful." ADA Tyrell said with a smirk as he walked back to his table and took his seat.

"No questions for this witness for the defense Your Honor."

Up next was the ER doctor who had seen Sansa on the night of the attack as well as New Year when she went in with a broken arm. He recounted her sisters injuries and made it all clear that Sansa could not have inflected the injuries herself when the attorney for the little worm tried to say that Sansa injured herself. Arya was so sure that with all the evidence that the prosecution had compiled and shown that the jury had to convict.

Then the moment she and her family had been dreading arrived. Sansa was called to the stand and Arya just had to watch as her sister relived that night all over again. Arya’s hands curled into fists and were itching to go sock Joffery. Sansa was trying so hard to avoid looking at Joffery that Arya found herself watching him more then her sister or the jury. He kept his face changing from outrage and then to amusement at what Sansa and the lawyers were saying. The worst was when Sansa was describing his action of forcing his penis into her mouth. Joffery had leaned back in the chair and smiled widely. Arya was ready to bolt out of the bench that she was sitting on to beat the crap out of the little shit when she felt her father’s arm slide around her shoulders. She looked up at him and he shook his head. He had seen Jofferys reaction as well and was warning her not to do anything. Just then, Arya saw Cersei’s hand flash out and smack Joffery on the head. Arya smiled and felt her father chuckle beside her.

Sansa was finally permitted to leave the stand and she walked out of the courtroom. Arya and Catelyn both stood and followed her out of the room. Sansa was standing in front of a large window, the sun streaming into it. She was in Sandor’s arms, she was shaking, and Arya knew that she was crying. Catelyn's hand reached out and she clasped Arya’s hand with in hers. There were tears escaping from Arya’s eyes as she watched her sister cry. She had been so strong for the course of the entire investigation and all through the trial. It was a shock to see her strong sister break down and cry now.

Sansa and Sandor stood there comforting each other. Arya knew that Sandor felt guilty over what had happened to Sansa. It was as if he felt like he had allowed it to happen, when he had not. Arya and Catelyn walked back into the courtroom and found their seats knowing that Sansa was safe and being looked after.

Sandor

He had been with Sansa every moment that they could be together since Valentine's Day. He had even snuck into her room at night. She had confided in him that she was having problems sleeping and would wake up at night having flashbacks to the night of her attack. She had slept when she was with him because she said that she felt safe, so he had started to sneak into her room to let her sleep in his arms.

It was agonizing and amazing for him at the same time to have Sansa sleep beside him, but not get anything more then a few kisses and some intense dry humping action going on. But Sandor could wait, he could be patient. He had fallen for his little vixen and did not want to scare her away. So he was the gentlemen and settled for sleeping with her in his arms at night.

The first night that he had slept with her, she had woken up three times crying and fighting. It had taken him most of the night to calm her down enough to sleep. He had held her as she cried and rubbed soothing circles on her back. It had taken every ounce of self-control he had not to find Joffery and kill him for what he had done to Sansa and what he was still doing to her.

At the start of the trial, he watched as Joffery sat at the defendants table. When Joffery looked over the gallery and he spotted Sandor with Sansa, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Sandor had his hand clasped tightly within Sansa’s and he had just nodded at Joffery. The look of rage and outrage on Jofferys face was worth being in the same room with the filthy worm. It was the first time Sansa and Sandor had showed that they were together around Joffery. They didn't even hold hands, kiss, or really touch at school, so this was the first time that they had shown any attention to one another in public.

Then the trial started. The lawyers made their opening statements and Sandor felt his anger rising at the thought of why they were here in the first place. Then Sansa had gotten up and walked out of the room and Sandor followed. He sat with her outside the courtroom. He could not sit in there and hear what the cops and the doctors had seen and found out about Joffery or how he treated Sansa. Then it was her turn to testify. He could not go into the room and hear what had happened from Sansa’s own lips, but he forced himself to go in the room.

He stood by the door and saw Myrcella at the back sitting there all alone. Sandor made his way over to her and she looked up in shocked surprise. She was in a bad disguise and an even worse wig.

"What are you doing back here?" Sandor whispered to her.

"I wanted to be here to see what happened, but I didn't want my family to know. I am here to support Sansa. But despite what he did, Joffery is still my brother. I had to see what happens to him." She whispered back.

Sandor nodded his head in understanding and stood in steely silence with Myrcella while Sansa told her story. Bile rose in his throat as Sansa described the night she was attacked. Then it was over and she was walking away from the stand. Sandor slipped out of the room and was standing under the large windows when she burst out of the doors. She stumbled over the trashcan and threw up again, then was in his arms and he held her.

"It is alright Sansa. You are doing the right thing. This is the right thing." He whispered into her hair as he held her.

"It is over now. It is all over." Sandor kept repeating as he held her.

"What if they decide that he is not guilty? What if they let him off? I couldn't deal with that if they don't convict him. He needs to go away Sandor. He needs to be in jail."

"They will convict him, don't worry about that sweetheart. They will get him." He kissed the top of her head.

"How do you know that? How can you be so sure?" She sounded despite for reassurance.

"I just know. And if they don't, I know some people who would be glad to stomp the crap out of that worm." He smiled at her. He knew she thought he was kidding, but if he did get out of this without being convicted, he would give the slime the beating he always deserved.

Sansa chuckled and they walked away from the courtroom to get a cup of coffee to wait out the rest of the day's trial.

Myrcella

She had wanted to go to the trial, but had not wanted her family to see her. Her father had told her and Tommen that they could go, but he wanted them not to. He had heard about the confrontation with Cersei at the ice cream shop and had become over protective. If she went anywhere without Aegon or were not out with Arya she had a bodyguard with her. She suspected that when she was followed even when she was with Aegon and her friends. She knew that her father's man was probably around watching her at that second as well, and she took comfort in that idea.

She was watching her mother's face during the trial and watched her get angrier about everything that was said against Joffery. Her grandfather was there and she couldn't help but notice the disgust that he had on his face about his grandson. And Jamie was there as well. He looked trapped and sad. She was beginning to realize that her uncle Jamie was a victim in the whole sorry affair. He might not have started out as one, but he was now trapped with Cersei weather he wanted to be or not.

She sat there for the entire day's trial of the persecution showing their case. Tomorrow would be the defenses turn to mount their case. The judge dismissed them for the day and Myrcella slipped out before the rest of the spectators.

She walked up to the third floor instead of going to the ground floor where she knew the press would be waiting to ambush anyone associated with the case. The names of Lannister, Stark and Baratheon had attracted the attention of the media.

"My dear, that wig looks horrible. You should take it off." A voice from behind her said.

Myrcella turned around and saw her uncle Tyrion standing beside a pillar.

"Hello uncle. What are you doing here?" She walked to him and embraced him, gaining strength and comfort from him.

"The same as you. I wanted to see what happens to Joffery. No matter what he has done he is still family.” Je shrugged and said just what he was feeling. She had always loved her uncles, but Tyron was the one who understood there was a difference in protecting the family and doing the right thing. Tyron had always done what was eight. “I am glad that you are here. I know what it is like to have family that you love, but cannot stand. We are the same that way you know. Walk with me Myrcella." Tyrion took her arm and linked his with hers. They started to wander around in silence.

"Uncle, I know it is true, science doesn't lie, but how could my mother and Jamie have a sexual relationship?" She had wanted to know the answer to that question from the moment that she had found out that they had had one.

"I think it started a long time ago. Your mother was always a loose young woman; she knew how to use her body to get what she wanted from a young age. I suspect that she first seduced Jamie when he was going to leave for the military academy when they were 14. Because after one night Jamie just decided not to go. And he has been trapped under her spell since then." Tyrion sighed.

She felt so bad for Jamie. She always knew that her mother had always been crazy. But knowing that she had seduced her twin brother when they were 14 made things seem worse somehow.

"I wish that we could save Jamie." Myrcella said.

"There is no saving him now. He is stuck and he knows it." Tyrion shook his head sadly.

"I bet Grandfather is not very happy with you." Myrcella said.

"He has never been happy with me. I am used to it. But I feel that your father is a better parent for you and Tommen then my dear sister. Now that Robert has cleaned, up his act and is taking steps to make all your lives, better I can see that there is a real future for you all as a family. And I am equally glad that he has decided to let his other son, Gendry, into the family as well. Helen is good for him and you kids too. Maybe you and Tommy will know what a true family is for once in your lives." Tyrion smiled at her.

"I am very proud of Dad. He has come a long way. I know that Mr. Stark has had a lot to do with that change. I want to thank him; I just don't know how to do that." They had circled the upper level and were at the elevator.

"I think you have dear Myrcella. You befriended his daughter. Arya had not had many friends up North. You gave him something already. Something that he is grateful for. I would call you even. Now do you need a ride back to your house? I have a car out at the back of the courthouse that we can sneak into. That way we aren't bombarded by the press out front."

"That would be great Uncle." Myrcella and Tyrion made it to the elevators and waited for the doors to open.

"So do you think that they will convict Joffery?" Myrcella asked.

"I want them to. That boy needs to be held accountable for his actions. But I doubt that they will. I have a feeling that your mother bought the jury off." Tyrion said sadly.

"I hope that you are wrong. I really do. Mother wouldn't stoop that low." She spoke the words; nut knew it was wishful thinking on her part.

"You know your mother and how she always had had a blind spot when your older brother was concerned." Tyrion shrugged his shoulders and stepped into the elevator. "We can only hope that the jury does the right thing."

Bran

Bran had decided to stay at the house with Mrs. Clark and Rickon instead of going to the trial. He had a massive headache and he felt so weak. His treatment had gone from every other week to once a week and Dr. Baelish had mentioned to adding another treatment of chemo a week. Bran was weak and sick and had not even been able to go to school since they had changed his treatment.

He was determined to talk with his parents that evening about getting a second opinion. He had done all the research and had found another neurologist in the area that sounded like she was competent and knew what she was doing. He had even called and made an appointment to go in for an exam the following week. He had told Meera and Jojen that he had made that appointment and if his parents would not listen to his plea to no longer see Dr. Baelish they were prepared to take him into the appointment.

His parents and sisters arrived at the house. Sandor was with them and Bran knew that at any moment Gendry would be arriving to be with Arya. His parents looked worn out, but he was determined to talk to them.

"Dad can I talk to you?" Bran walked over to his father as he started to enter into his study.

"Sure Bran." Ned motioned for him to follow. "You do not look so good son. How are you feeling?"

"Like shit to be honest. Dad, I know that mom trust Dr. Baelish, but I don't feel like he knows what he is doing. I would like to have a second opinion. And before you say anything, I have already found another doctor who I would like to have as a consult. I have already made an appointment to meet her. Her name is Dr. Osha and she is one of the top neurologist in the country. I need you on my side for this dad. Mom is not going to like this idea."

Ned sat on the edge of his desk and looked over at his son. Bran let his father take in how he looked. How thin he was now, how pale he was. He had lost his runners body and his skin had become as thin as paper. He let his father see the pain and how tired that he was. Bran usually hid that from his friends and family, but he wanted his father to see it for himself now.

"Okay Bran. I will back you in this. I think that you are right and you need to have a second opinion. I never liked the idea of Baelish being your doctor and have told your mother that many times. I think that if we both bring this discomfort up to her she will not be able to tell you no." He spoke softly, his voice weary from the events of the day.

"Thanks dad. I can't stand having to see that slimy dirt bags face again." Bran said with a shiver.

"Neither can I Bran. How about we go and tell your mother the news that her childhood friend is not the doctor for you."

Ned and Bran walked into the kitchen to find Catelyn telling Mrs. Clark about the trial so far.

"It is horrible. I wanted to kill the filthy spoiled shit. Hearing over and over again what he had done to my daughter made me want to kill him and that family of his."

"I bet dear. Let me make you some tea." Mrs. Clark busied herself with the teakettle.

"Cat love, Bran and I have something to tell you. We have decided to have a consult with another neurologist. We already have an appointment scheduled for next week."

Catelyn looked at her son and husband with detached dead eyes. Bran figured that the trauma of the trail had sapped all the fight out of his mother.

"Do whatever you want to do. I am getting worried about you Bran dear. You should have a second opinion. We should have gotten you one long ago. Do you need me to come with you to this consultation?" Her voice was flat as she asked.

"No dear I am going to take him to this one. You can stay with Sansa. I have a feeling that she is going to need you this week." Ned put his hand on his wife's shoulder and gave her a fast kiss. They smiled at each other and then Mrs. Clark handed them all cups of tea.

Bran took his tea and went up to his room. He passed his sisters room, Sansa was watching a movie with Sandor, and he heard music coming from Arya’s closed door. They both must be wound up from the day's events. He walked into his room and sipped his tea as he lounged in his bed.

He sat there with his eyes closed and was relaxing. He wanted to sleep the day away. He never wanted to get out of bed. After the cup of tea, he felt his stomach heave and he felt it coming up. He vomited and his eyes blurred over. He was always sick now. He was thankful that he was prepared and that the trash can was beside his bed as was a bottle of water and some saltine crackers. He reached for the water, rinsed his mouth out, took a cracker out of the pack, and munched on it.

His phone started to ring and he knew that it was Meera calling to ask about Sansa.

"Bran are you alright? Have you talked to your parents about seeing the other doctor? I am worried about you." Meera’s voice was concerned and Bran could not help but feel a tugging on his heart.

"I talked to them. My dad has backed me and my mom has agreed to it." Bran started to cough.

"Oh good Bran. Can I come over and talk? I need some advice on something and you are the only person that I can talk about this to." She sounded eager to see him.

"Sure. But be prepared that I do not look so good. I look like death warmed over." He made a joke, but a coughing fit interrupted his laughter.

"You could never look that bad Bran. I will be over in half an hour if that works for you." She sounded sweet and caring like always.

"Sure. Just come on up to my room when you get here."

"Okay. See you soon. Bye." Meera hung up the phone and Bran sat on the bed bone tired.

He had not seen Meera since he had found out that she had gone out on a date. Jojen had been just as surprised as he had been when Bran had called and told him that Meera was on a date. Then Brans treatment had been upped and he had gotten sicker and sicker and had not been to school for the last two weeks. So Bran hoisted himself up and walked to the shower to try to look better for when Meera saw him.

Bran took the trash bag out of his garbage can and took it out to the large can in the back of the house. Mrs. Clark stopped him as he came in.

"Sick again dear? Do you want me to send you some ginger cookies? I know that they will make you feel better and get something in your system." Mrs. Clark's kind grandmotherly voice oozed over Brans headache.

"That would be great. Meera is coming over and I need to shower first, but if you want you can send them up with her."

"I can do that hon. Now go get cleaned up. Leave it to me dear."

Bran walked up the shower and stood there and the water felt so heavy on his skin. He felt like the cascading water was the weight of the world, and it was all pounding down on him. When had he become so weak? He was no longer the strong young man that he had started out as. Things had changed in ways that he would have never imagined.

Bran walked into his room and went to get dressed. He was saddened that he no longer had anything that fit him. His clothes hung off his thin frame and his hands shook as he buttoned his jeans and buckled the belt that he had to now wear. The tee shirt that he slipped over his head once was filled out with his lean runner's body, now it hung limp over his frame.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror and was shocked at how the purple circles under his eyes looked so dark against his pale skin and his once shiny hair was not brittle and dry. Looking at his reflection, he no longer wanted Meera to see him. But it was too late now. So Bran settled onto his bed and waited for her to show up.

He didn't have to wait long. Soon there was a knock on the door and she entered the room with a tray of food.

"Mrs. Clark gave me this. She said to eat the broth and the ginger cookies. She also put some other things on it for you." Meera looked up from the tray and saw Bran for the first time. "Oh Bran." Her voice was barely above a whisper. Bran saw tears well in her eyes and he knew that she was feeling sorry for him now.

"Mrs. Clark always gives me to much food. But she tries." Bran smiled at her and Meera came into the room more.

Meera sat down on the bed next to him and set the food down on his bedside table. She just sat there looking at him. Bran felt his face flush and they sat in awkward silence. Bran was starting to feel uncomfortable so he reached for a cookie. It made his stomach feel slightly better, but it did nothing to stop the butterflies that Meera’s close proximity created for him.

"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Bran broke the silence.

"I went out on a date two weeks ago with one of the guys from the play. He is nice, but there is something missing. I can't really put my fingers on it, but I feel like you can help me with that." Meera looked deep into his eyes. She was pleading with him to have the answer, but how could he give her the one that she wanted?

"Um, well. Um you really like the guy right?" His tone was detached and clinical.

"I do like him. He is nice and funny and is into theater like I am. But there is no excitement. I mean I feel that when I am with you. Things are never boring with you Bran." She smiled at him and his butterflies went into over drive.

"You should just date me then." Bran was half joking and half hoping that she would admit that liked him and would take him seriously.

"Yeah I should." Meera giggled. "So besides dating you what should I do?"

"You have two options. Continue dating this guy and hope that the spark evolves over time or you can dump him and go find that spark with someone else." He didn’t dare look at her face. He knew what he wanted her to say, but in his current condition, he didn’t want to hope.

Meera looked down at the folded hands then looked over at him. Then she did the unexpected thing. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on his lips. He felt electricity shoot inside him and he felt his insides turn to mush. Her lips were cool against the hot skin of his lips. She pulled away and looked at him with an unasked question in her eyes for him.

Bran just sat there with a large smile on his face. He was at a loss for words. Meera saw the look and started to chuckle at him.

"Well that was better then I expected. That is the feeling I want. What are you thinking?" She asked sheepishly.

"I felt like there was sparks going all over my body. It was amazing." Bran couldn't stop smiling.

"I guess that I have a lot to think about.” She smiled at him.

"I guess that you do." He knew he looked crazy right now.

"So enough about me, what about you? I am a little worried about you." She watched his face as he collected himself.

"I have treatment every week. It is taking its toll on me. But we have the consult with a new doctor. I am really hoping that she can tell us something different." Bran was filled with optimism for the new possibilities that were shaping up for him now.

"I hope that Dr. Osha can give you some good news. I am really hoping that she really has good news. I don't know what I would do if you got sicker instead of better. I don’t trust that doctor that is treating you Bran. Neither does Jojen. We both think that he is scamming you. He is doing something to keep your mother close. That is all I can think. You should be getting better, not sicker." Her voice was getting angry as she spoke, and Bran was glad she was angry for him, not with him.

"I have only been in treatment for a few weeks now. It does take time for these things to work you know Meera." Bran reached out and took her hand.

"I know. But I still do not have to like it." Her hand was cool in his and she looked at them. Then she placed her other hand on his face. Bran closed his eyes and leaned into her hand. "Bran you are really warm. Are you feeling okay?" Her voice was concerned.

"I feel warm and sick, but that is now the norm." He opened his eyes and they were glazed over.

Bran was suddenly overcome with wracking body shaking coughing. Meera handed him a handkerchief. His cough was wet and he doubled over. Meera reached out for the glass of water on the tray. When Bran sat up and pulled the handkerchief away from his face, he noticed the pink color on it and tried to hide it from Meera but she was to fast for him and snatched it away from him. The color drained from her face and she stood up from the bed.

"Bran there is blood on this. Has this happened before and do not lie to me." She shook the hanky in front of his face. He cringed knowing that the answer that she wanted was not the one that he was going to be able to give.

"No it is not the first time."

"Do your parents know?" She demanded answers yet again.

"No. They have been preoccupied with Sansa and work. I didn't want to bother them with this." Bran looked away from her eyes.

"You have to tell them Bran. They would want to know. In fact I think that you should tell them now." She tried to take his hand and pull him to his feet but he would not budge from the spot. He had no energy after his coughing fit.

"I can't move Meera. Please don't pull me like that." Brans voice was weak and Meera stopped pulling him and stood there with her hands on her hips.

"Fine, but since you can’t move I’m going to show this to your mom." And with that, Meera turned on her heels and marched out of his room to find Catelyn.

Bran was reclining on his bed with his eyes closed when Meera and his mother entered. He cracked his right eye opened and spotted his mother's face. It was ashen and she looked stricken.

"Meera just showed me this Bran. How long have you been coughing up blood?" Catelyn's voice was soft and she tried to keep her eyes calm and loving, but there was tension radiation off her.

"Since I stated the weekly treatments." His voice was flat. He was tired mow, so tired.

"Why haven't you told me this before Bran?" His mother’s soft comforting voice floated to him.

"Because you were busy with Sansa." His voice was soft and he felt his guilt over take him.

"That should not have stopped you Bran. I am concerned about all of my children. Bran this is something that you need to tell Dr. Baelish." She was starting to sound frustrated.

"I don't trust him mom. You know that. I will tell the new doctor when dad and I go in and meet with her." He kept his voice as strong as he could. He would not back down on this.

Catelyn wrung her hands as she looked at him. She had the sort of look on her face that Bran knew all to well. She was thinking like an over protective mom and Bran steeled himself for her proposition.

"I think I might take you into the ER Bran. I am worried about that cough, the weight loss, and the amount you have been vomiting. The blood is just the last straw." Catelyn turned to Meera and smiled at her. "Thank you Meera for telling me about this. Bran would not have told me until he was dying."

"No problem Mrs. Stark. I do not want to see Bran get worse. Let's hope that they can find out what is going on and fix him up soon." She looked at Bran and many emotions filtered across her face.

"Get your coat on Bran. We are heading over to the hospital." Catelyn's voice was full of authority and Bran could not argue with her, even if he wanted to.

“Can I go with you Mrs. Stark? I have missed hanging out with Bran, and I think he could use the company.” Meera asked all sweetness and light.

“Of course dear. Help Bran get his coat on. I’ll tell your father we are leaving.” She walked out of the room.

“You don’t have to come with.” Bran said as he struggled to sit up. He finally gave up and lay back against his pillows.

Meera walked over and helped him sit up and swing his legs off the edge of the bed. When he was standing, she put his jacket over her arms and walked him to his door before she spoke.

“I’m your friend Bran. I’ll always be here for you.” She leaned in and gave him one more small kiss. “And besides, I’m better company for you than your mother or my brother. Now quit your bitching and go to the hospital.

At that moment, Bran would have run a marathon for her.

Gendry

When his mom told him that his father was none other than Robert Baratheon he didn’t know how to feel. He had been shocked and angry. Arya had been there to help him deal with the shock of the news. His biggest issue was the idea that he would be related to Joffery. Then a miracle happened, they told him that Joffery was not Roberts son. That made things easier for him.

The best part of this completely new thing was that his mother and Robert had started dating and he had heard the story of how they met and what had happened to them. His mother had apparently been in love with Robert and had been there for him when his first love had died. He was slightly shocked to hear that Robert had been in love with Jon's mother, but decided to drop the issue for the time being. They had been together, dating for three months, when Cersei Lannister had seduced him and then claimed that she was pregnant after one night. She had gotten him drunk enough that he blacked out. He had no idea if they had in fact had sex, and she had told Helen Robert was unfaithful, effectively breaking his parents apart. Because at the time Robert had the conviction to do the right thing. So he had married Cersei and broken things off with Gendry’s mother.

Six weeks after the break up Helen Waters had found out she was pregnant and she had decided that she could not tell Robert. He was already saddled with one unwanted pregnancy; she didn't want to add to his stress. So she had kept Gendry a secret from Robert. It wasn't until Robert had sobered up and started to take note of the things around him did he realize that Gendry was the son of his college love and that he had a striking resemblance to the Baratheon family line. Robert had confronted Helen and she had admitted that Gendry was in fact his son. Both Gendry and Robert were both angered and outraged that she had let them be in one another's lives in a fringe capacity for many years, but had never told them who they were to one another.

But once she had explained that she had tried to see Robert when Gendry was three and in the same preschool as Joffery Cersei had stopped her and told Helen that Robert had no need for the bastard child from a youthful indiscretion. When Robert had heard that he had gone into a rage.

"That bitch knew I had a son and she never told me! I will kill her! I will wring her fucking neck!" Robert had yelled."

It had taken Helen half an hour to calm Robert down and convince him that drinking was not the answer. Myrcella had been in the room with them as Robert and Helen told their stories. She had been sitting on a straight-backed chair and had cringed as her father started his rage. After Robert had calmed down, she had gotten up and sat by Gendry.

"I have never seen anyone handle my father, I mean our father that way." She had smiled at him as they spoke. "Your mother is an amazing woman. I wish that she could have been my mother."

"Well we can always pull a parent trap scheme and have the two of them get married." Gendry smiled over at her then and shared a gleeful look.

They had all but moved into the Red Keep with the Baratheon’s. Robert had been very generous as well and given them something that he had called "Making up money".

"I missed almost 18 years of your life. And your mother had to do it all on her own. Giving this to you is the least I can do." Robert had said as he had handed Gendry the check of 100,000 dollars.

In the weeks that had followed Gendry had had to fight not to spend the money on everything, despite Robert telling him that there was more if he ever needed it. But one thing that he did splurge on was a three-day car show all access passes for himself and Arya. He also got one for Myrcella and Aegon as well. The two couples had a great time. Myrcella had the hard task of keeping the three of them from all but trying to steal the cars, but they all had a great time.

It was the first day of the rape trial against Joffery and he had decided to spend the day with his father. He had wanted to go and be there for Arya but she had told him that she needed to be there for her sister and that he would distract her. So Gendry had made his way over to his father's house to spend the day with him.

He had knocked on the door and Robert had answered it himself.

"There you are my boy!" Robert boomed as he enveloped Gendry in a hug.

Gendry hugged him back and patted him on the back. They broke apart and had identical smiles on their faces. Now that Gendry was looking, he saw the similarities between the two of them. They had the same colored eyes, the same colored hair and the same body build. Gendry had felt slightly stupid that he had seen Robert for many years and had never noticed that they looked so much alike.

"Hi Robert."

"How many times have I told you to call me dad?" Robert scowled. Then his face broke out in a smile.

"Just about every day since we found out that you are my father." Gendry smiled back.

"Come on in. Now there are some things that I want to discuss with you. Come into my study." Robert led Gendry into the study and they sat down by the fireplace. Gendry remembered once being in here to be paid for the gig that he and the guys had performed for the Baratheon’s. There was once a picture of the happy Baratheon family above it, now there was a painting of a stag in the forest.

"Now son I would really like to make you my son in the eyes of the law. I would like to claim you and have you take my last name." Roberts’s eyes were serious.

"That would be nice sir, I mean dad. But I wouldn't want to throw away my mom's name." Gendry said evenly.

"Well as soon as I am no longer attached to the bitch I want to ask her to marry me. Then you both would have my name, like it should have been all along." His father was serious and Gendry could see his trepidation written all over his face.

Gendry sat back and digested it all. For as long as he could remember, he used to pretend who his dad was. He had asked his mom, pleaded with her to tell him who the man was. Now that he knew who he was he wanted nothing more than to have this man, better than his dream dad, wanted him. Not only him but his mother as well.

"I would like that dad. I would like that a lot. And I know that mom would most likely say yes if you ask her to marry you."

"Good. Now onto the father son bonding." The grin on Roberts face was larger than possible.

For the rest of the day they messed around with guitars and were making music together. Gendry had been pleased to learn that he got his musical ability from his father and that they could have fun jamming with one another. They had been teaching Tommen how to play and the kid was starting to really enjoy it. Gendry had always wanted a family and this was the best thing in the world to him.

It was almost evening when he got a text from Arya asking him if he could come over. He told Robert and Tommen that he had to go and he was given a hard time from Tommen about rushing out to spend time with a girl. Gendry had smiled and given the younger boy a tickle attack making the young boy squeal and wiggle away. Robert had stood there and smiled as he watched his two son's horse around. Gendry always wanted siblings and now that he had them, he loved every moment of it. Tommen was the coolest kid in the world and he was glad that nothing ever had happened between him and Myrcella.

He got to the Starks house and was let in by Mrs. Clark. She handed him a tray of brownies and milk to take with him on his way up to Arya’s room. He had to smile at the plump old lady who was always cooking and feeding people. Gendry walked up the stairs to Arya’s room and knocked on the door with his elbow.

"Arya open up the door. Mrs. Clark has loaded us up with stuff. I don't have any hands." He shouted at her.

Arya opened the door and he walked in placing the tray on the desk. He kissed her after he had put the tray down. He loved the first kiss of the day with Arya. It was always like Christmas to him, getting that first kiss from her after being apart from her.

"Hey there. How are you feeling after the day in court?" Gendry asked.

"It was tough. I don't think I can do this again, but I told Sansa I would be there for her. She couldn't be there to watch it. I have to be there to let her know what is going on." She said into his chest.

"You are a great sister Arya." Gendry kissed her head and they smiled at one another.

"So how was your day with your dad?" She asked as they sat down on her bed and snuggled together.

"It was cool. We played music, joked, and taught Tommen some cords. He asked me to change my name and if he could marry my mom. I said yes that I would change my name and that I think my mom would marry him." Gendry couldn't help but smile as he talked.

"That is great Gendry. I am so happy for you." Arya said as she kissed his cheek.

"Want to go watch a movie on the big TV? Or we can just stay here and snuggle."

"I am emotionally drained. Can we just stay on my bed and cuddle? That sounds really great to me."

"Sure. Whatever you want." They put a movie into the disk drive of her computer and munched on brownies together.

In Gendry’s mind, this was the perfect way to end a great day for him and a challenging day for Arya. He willed his good mood into her. As he held and comforted her as best, he could. With every touch, laugh, and kiss they shared she became herself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one took while to think up. I tried to make the scene with Sansa on the stand believable and dramatic, but I did not want to be overly technical or delve to deep into the jargon, but I did find out that in the state of California what happened to Sansa is in fact a crime. But the sad part is that many of the people who have to endure that kind of assault do not come forward that often. It made me feel happy to have Sansa case go to court in the story because I know that not many of them do in reality. Thanks for reading and the support!


	29. The Verdict

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted two new chapters today. This is the first. Enjoy

Jaqen 

It had been weeks since he had actually talked to Arya. He had watched her and seen her around, but he had not said three words to her in that time. He had decided to talk to her in the art class. When he had walked into the art room, he did not see her and he felt a little sad. He figured that she would be at the trial with her sister. He knew that there was no reason for him to go but he walked out of the class and the school and walked to his car to drive to the courthouse.

Jaqen walked over the duty officer and asked what courtroom the Lannister trial was taking place in and was directed to courtroom three on the second floor. He took the stairs two at a time. He was eager to see Arya. She was standing outside of the courtroom talking to Sandor and her sister Sansa. He stood there a few feet away from her and gathered his wits. He cleared his throat and watched as Arya turned in his direction.

She smiled at him and excused herself from her sister. His stomach still got butterflies in it when she smiled at him. He had to fight the strong urge to wrap her in his arms and smother her with kisses.

"Jaqen what are you doing here?" She asked when she reached him.

"I knew that you would probably be here to support your sister and I wanted you to know that you have support as well." He shrugged trying to sound like he had not run out of school and tracked her down just so he could have a chat with her.

"Oh wow Jaqen. You are such a good friend." She smiled at him and touched his arm.

"I would do anything for you Arya." He lifted his hand to sweep the hair in her eyes off her face. Then he noticed the look on her face and his hand hovered in the air above her face. He dropped his hand and just looked her in the eyes.

"So are you going to watch the trial today? Or did you just come to see if I was doing okay?" Arya asked into the tension.

"I wanted to see what that puke has to say happened that night that he attacked your sister. And like I said I wanted to support you as well." He shrugged, not wanting her to know that he was dropping everything to just talk with her.

"Alright. You can sit with me and my family in the gallery. Gendry was bringing Myrcella and Aegon here too. They should be here any moment." Arya looked around Jaqen to the stairs behind him.

Jaqen had a smile plastered to his face but on the inside at the mention of Gendry’s name, he felt his rage bubble. He clenched his fist at his side and took a deep breath. It would not be good if he showed outward signs of his hate for Gendry if he wanted to continue talking with Arya.

"I would like sitting in with you. Lead the way." Jaqen bade a sweeping gesture with his arm. Arya walked back over to Sansa and Sandor.

"Sansa this is my friend Jaqen. He was in the area and he wanted to show his support for you." Arya was saying to her sister. Jaqen was looking at The Hound. Sandor had always been one person who saw through Jaqen’s pretended act of normalcy. Jaqen had always figured it was because The Hound did his own amount of pretending.

"Thank you Jaqen. It is so kind of you to be here." Sansa’s sweet soft voice drifted up to him as he continued to watch the Hound watch him. He flicked his eyes back to Sansa and he smiled widely.

"You are welcome beautiful girl. Your sister is a good friend and I know from her experiences of this ordeal it was traumatic. I can only imagine what it has been like for you." He reached out, took Sansa’s hand, and rubbed soothing circles on the back of it. Sansa and Arya were smiling over at him and he knew that they were falling for his act. The Hound was not. He saw the angry look on his ruined face. Jaqen felt a desire to sculpt that face so he smiled at Sandor again.

"We better get in the courtroom Sansa. Come on, let’s get out seats." Arya took her sisters hand and Sansa took a deep breath.

"Okay. Let’s go." Sansa looked over at Sandor. "Are you coming?"

"I will be right in. I want to have a word with Jaqen here." Sandor kissed Sansa’s head and Sansa and Arya walked into the courtroom hand in hand.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Jaqen let his simple happy just friends mask slide away now that the girls were not there to watch him.

"I do not trust you. Sansa is the best thing in my life and her sister is important to her. If you do anything, and I mean anything to hurt Arya, I will hurt you. Not for hurting Arya but for the pain that you will cause Sansa. Do you get me?" Sandor was standing in Jaqen’s space. Jaqen just looked Sandor the Hound up and down. He shook his head and smiled at him.

"I would never do anything to hurt Arya. She is a perfect person. Why would I hurt her?"

"You watch her like a killer watched it’s pray. I do not trust you. I have warned you. The next time we talk about this I will not be alone and you will be talking to someone who gives a whole hell of a lot more for Arya then I do." Sandor growled.

"You mean the charming oh so perfect Mr. Waters? You really think that he means anything to me? I can leave him squashed and splattered on the side of the road like the bug that he is. He is not good enough for her. She will see that in the end and when she does realize this I will be here waiting for her." Jaqen brushed past Sandor and entered the courtroom to sit in the gallery beside Arya. She smiled at him as he slid into the seat next to her.

"What did Sandor want to talk to you about?" Arya whispered.

"He was just asking me about a project that I am working on." He said. He slid his arm onto the back of the wooden bench so that it rested behind Arias back. He was pleased that she did not move away from him.

Arya 

She had been surprised when Jaqen had showed up outside the courtroom that morning. She was pleased to see him. He had been acting weird with her since she had started seeing Gendry. She hoped that him coming and showing his support for her family and Sansa was a sign that they could remain friends and that they could get back to talking about art and working together.

They sat in the gallery waiting for the court to called to order. She was beside Sansa and Jaqen was on her other side. She didn't have the heart to tell him that once Gendry got there he would have to move away. Then his arm slid behind her back. She had stiffened and had wanted to move away, but she did not want to be a bitch and move away. She had been there first. He should be the one to move, not her.

Three minutes of talking to Jaqen about his move to the east to college had been nice and easy. Then he had stiffened and his face altered. Arya looked behind her and Gendry had entered the courtroom. She smiled and stood to greet him with a hug.

"Hey there lover." She murmured into his chest when they embraced.

"Hey there back." He kissed the top of his head.

They slid their way back down the bench. Arya watched Gendry’s eyes grow wide and hostile as he saw Jaqen sitting on the wooden bench. Arya slid her hand into his. She was a little frazzled at how Gendry had reacted to Jaqen being there. She thought that they liked one another.

They took their seats just as Joffery was lead into the courtroom. Arya glanced over at Myrcella and her best friend looked like she was going to either be sick or break down and cry. Then she heard Sansa make a small sob as she saw Joffery as well. Arya was torn. Who should she comfort and who would need it more. But she shouldn't have worried. Both of them had strong men to stand beside them when things got tough. She was pleased that things had worked out the way that they were with their relationships.

Judge Mormont walked into the room and court was called into session. Arya held onto Gendry’s hand and waited for Joffrey to get to the stand to testify in his defense. She knew that anything that came out of that little shitty worm was going to be a lie and she hoped that the jury would see that as well.

"The defense calls Joffrey Lannister to the stand." The old dried out attorney announced.

Joffrey stood up and walked over to the stand. He was dressed in a very expensive suit and looked very respectable and innocent. Arya wanted to gag. He was sworn in and the questions started.

"Mr. Lannister can you tell the court your recollection about the night in question?" Mr. Pycelle’s dry sand paper voice called across the room.

"Yes sir. I took Miss Stark on a romantic dinner to a nice restaurant. We went to High Gardens on the coast. We had what I thought was a lovely evening. We had good conversation and I enjoyed being with her that evening. She was making me want to be a better person. Since New Year’s I had not had a drop of alcohol. But I slipped that night. I was in such a good mood I figured why not have some wine to accent our perfect meal. I had not meant to drink an entire bottle of wine. And I was unaware that it would react with the medication that I was taking the way that it did. When the meal was over, we left and were driving home. I was asking Miss Stark why we had not been intimate since we had started dating. I guess I took the conversation in a different way then what Miss Stark was intending. I thought that after the perfect evening that she and I had had with one another she would be a little amorous. I did not realize that she was not interested in what I was thinking. I did not realize it until she bit my, um, my penis and ran out of the car into the rain filled night."

"So what you are saying is that you were unaware that what you were doing was not something that Miss Stark was wanting?" The attorney asked.

"No sir. I think it was a mix of the bad reaction to the medication and the frustration of the lack of physical attention from Miss Stark."

"Thank you Mr. Lannister. No further questions." Mr. Pycelle walked back to his table on the defense side of the room.

ADA Willas Tyrell stood up and Arya noticed for the first time that he had a slight limp. When they had learned that Margaery’s oldest brother was going to be the ADA prosecuting Joffery, Arya had called her and asked her if he was one of the goons on the pay roll of the Lannister’s. Margaery had been pissed and outraged to say the least at the accusation. She was fully on a side in the dispute and assured Arya that her brother would do everything to get justice for Sansa.

Wallis's voice was soft and his tone was as smooth as honey. Arya hoped that this was a sign that he was going to grill Joffrey to a char.

"So Mr. Lannister, you stated that you had a lovely evening with the victim?"

"Yes sir."

"And also that you were on a new medication? What was the medication for?" ADA Tyrell asked.

"They are for my anger issues. I was put on them when I had an altercation with my sister’s boyfriend in school a few months ago. I also am taking them for my anxiety." Joffrey’s voice was not as strong as it had been when he had retold about his date with Sansa.

"So you admit that you have an anger issue. Would you say that you have violent tendencies?"

"I am afraid to admit that I do. But…"

"So your attack on Miss Stark was not outside of character for you?"

"It was out of character. I would not have hurt Sansa. I was falling in love with her and thought that she was in love with me as well. The medication that I was on was showing a great improvement on my mood and my attitude." Joffrey’s voice was starting to show anger and there were small pink spots on his cheeks.

"So you are blaming this whole attack on a malfunction of your medication? You had no realization that you were acting against her will?" ADA Tyrell asked.

"I know that the medication and drinking with it was the cause. I would not have continued if I had known she was so opposed to it." Joffrey was getting more and more angry.

"But Miss Stark testified that she had told you that she was not ready for sex with you. That also includes oral as well, does it not?" ADA Tyrell asked.

"We had been having that conversation and I guess that it would include oral as well. But I was just so frustrated and not in the right mind set at the time. I honestly do not know what came over me that night." He looked down, pretending to be sorry.

"What about hitting her? You have admitted and I have statements from the police officers that state you have been violent with others on many occasions."

"I regret hitting her. And I do admit that in the past I have hit others as well when things did not go my way. I snapped. It was almost an out of body experience." Joffrey had regained his composure and was trying to look contrite.

"Are we to believe that you did not hear Sansa Stark saying no? That you could not feel her resisting you as you forced your member into her mouth and down her throat?" Wallis demanded with anger that surprised Arya.

"I didn't know that what I was doing was wrong. I thought that she was willing." Joffrey snapped.

"And this was the first time that you have done this to a young woman before?" His change of direction was masterful. Joffery looked confused with the question.

"The first time that I received oral sex? No, it was not. But if you are asking if this was the first time I forced a woman before then yes it is. Or it is to my knowledge. I have never had a complaint before." Joffery sat back in his chair with a smug look on his face.

"Would it be a shock to you to learn that there have been three other girls that have come forward to put on record that they have been forced to perform sexual acts on you?" Wallis walked over to his table, picked up a large stack of papers, and waved them around in the air.

"Objection Your Honor. These so called other victims are not here and they are not bringing charges forward. This evidence that the prosecution is bringing up is inadmissible and they should not be allowed to be seen in this court." Mr. Pycelle said as he jumped to his feet.

"I will look over these reports and make a decision to the validity of the reports. We will take a thirty-minute recess. Mr. Tyrell please hand me the reports." Judge Mormont asked beckoning to the assistant district attorney.

Arya looked at her sister and saw how pale she looked. She was glad for the recess to be able to talk to her now. The Stark girls and their supporters stood and walked out of the courtroom to wait out the judge’s opinion.

Sandor 

Sandor was slightly shocked by the bombshell that three girls had come forward to accuse Joffrey of sexual misconduct. He was surprised that the girls fear was no longer holding them back. He knew that there were more out there that he abused and paid off. He felt glad that they were standing up to Joffrey finally.

"I wonder if the judge will let these new victims be added in as evidence." Arya asked once they were out of the room.

"There are many disgruntled girls out there that would love to stick it to Joffrey. The words take your pick jumps to mind." Sandor said with disgust.

"The attorney will say that they were not violated because they took so long to come forward and that they received compensation so they were not real victims." Myrcella said from her spot beside them.

"What do you mean that they received compensation?" Gendry asked.

"My mother and Joffrey paid the girls off. He did it to you Sansa. When he got you that jewelry. He was paying you off the having sex with that whore from the other school. He just wanted you to stick around because you were popular and made him look good." Myrcella said. Sandor did not want Sansa to know this small fact about Joffrey and how cruel he was.

"I knew that the jewelry was a payoff. I just didn't want to believe it." Sansa’s voice was soft as she wrapped her arms around herself. Sandor put his arms around her and she snuggled into him.

Sandor looked around at the friends that had gathered around her today. The only person that was not one of them was Jaqen. He wanted to tell Arya to stay away from the guy. There was something off with him. A deadly feeling that radiated off him when he was not with the girl. He had been serious when he had warned Jaqen off Arya. He really was starting to like Sansa’s sister and would do something to someone for hurting the sister of the woman that he loved, because Sansa would be hurting too. It was a strange bond that the Stark girls had. When Sansa was attacked, Arya had been there to support her and was with her the entire time. But they could not be more different. He was confused about their relationship, but they were close and that was all that mattered.

So as they stood there in the hall and he saw the way that Jaqen was watching Arya and Gendry stand together touching each other unconsciously as they talked. He saw a murderous sheen in Jaqen’s eye that he made Sandor uncomfortable. Sandor had a sinking feeling in his stomach. Something bad was going to happen to one of his friends and it would be by the hand of Jaqen. Sandor had made the mistake of not telling Sansa what kind of a person Joffrey was and they were in court today. He would not make the same mistake of keeping quiet and not getting involved. This time he would tell Gendry to watch out for Jaqen.

"Sandor what are you thinking about?" Sansa asked looking up at him.

"I do not like that guy Jaqen. He is not trust worthy and I just don’t like him. I want to know what he really is doing here." He answered candidly.

"He still has feeling for Arya. That is all." Sansa shrugged her shoulders.

"Then Arya should make it clear that she is not interested in him." Sandor glared at Jaqen’s back.

"She did. She even took Jon with her. I don't think that he got the hint." Sansa turned her head and looked over at the person in question. "Maybe someone should have a talk with him."

"I sort of already did. But maybe Gendry should have a talk with him. You know mark his territory in a sense."

"Don't let Arya hear you say that. She would kill you." Sansa giggled thinking of her small petite sister trying to kill her tall hulking boyfriend.

"She could never do anything to hurt me." Sandor laughed along with her.

"Who could never hurt you?" Myrcella asked walking over to the two.

"Arya. She is going to try to kill Sandor when she hears that he suggested Gendry to mark his territory on her with Jaqen." Sansa explained.

"That guy creeps me out. I thought he was cool the first time I met him. But now he is always in the background and watching your sister." Aegon gave a shudder as he said this.

"You know, you’re right. He is always watching her." Myrcella shot a frightened look at Jaqen as he stood by a wall and pretended to play on his phone as he watched Arya. "He really is creepy."

"We have one creep in our life, we don't need another one." Aegon remarked.

"Agreed." Sandor said watching Jaqen watch his friends some more.

Gendry 

He was weirded out when he had walked into the courtroom. Jaqen H'ghar had been sitting next to his girlfriend with his arm pretty much around her. He had frozen in his tracks and when his eyes met with Jaqen’s all he saw was a killer intent aimed at him. He flashed back on the strange man that he had met on his Valentines date with Arya. He had been warned that _he_ had not given up and it was becoming clear that Jaqen might be the he that the man Varys had refereed to.

But that all melted away when Arya had noticed him and had rushed to his side. He sat beside her while Joffrey was on the stand and felt her tense beside him while he had told of his account of the evening that Sansa was attacked. He knew that he felt helpless to make her anger dissolve. He had no idea how Sandor was dealing with this whole thing. He knew that he wanted to pound the punk and it was not his girlfriend that had been attacked. Sandor must be going crazy.

When they had called for reuses, he and Arya had separated themselves from the group to be able to talk and flirt a little to relieve the tension that they were feeling.

"God Gendry I need you so bad. It feels like a lifetime since we last had good nasty sex. I am going crazy. I want you to push me up against this pillar and fuck me senseless." Arya whispered to him with a small seductive smile on her red lips.

"God Arya sometimes you are so dirty that I can't stand you. But in a weird way, it’s sweet. I like it when you talk dirty." Gendry leaned down and his lips hovered over hers.

"I am super sweet. Like Splenda, except I don't cause cancer." She smiled wickedly up at him.

"That is sweet." He placed a quick kiss on her lips, felt her tongue snake out, and slid over his.

"We can't do this here, now. We have to be here supporting Sansa." Gendry’s need was pulsating in his pants as he stood inches away from the object of his desire.

"You’re right. It is not the time or the place. Its Friday tomorrow. Want to have a date?" She wiggled her eyebrow at him in the way that he found sexy and frustrating because he could not do it.

"I can't. We have the Baratheon Family Dinner tomorrow. You can come if you want. I want you to come." Gendry held her hands in his as he looked at her face. He saw the disappointment flit across it as he spoke.

"I don't even like going to my own families family dinner night. But for you I guess I can make an exception and come with you." Her eyes twinkled in the mischievous way that he knew that she was planning something.

Before he could ask her what she was thinking of what she was going to do the bailiff called the trial back in session. Their group walked back into the room and took their seats in the gallery. Joffrey sat there looking smug, as if he did not have a care in the world. Then the judge walked in and court was called back into session.

"After reviewing the statement and the records and asking the detectives who took these statements I have decided to allow this information to be presented to the jury."

ADA Tyrell looked pleased and the defense looked angry. Joffrey was almost purple with outrage whispering with his attorney. Gendry looked over the girl’s heads to share an evil smile with Sandor. He knew that the judge was going to allow the other victims into evidence. Sandor had told Gendry that Joffrey had forced himself on more then twenty girls in the last three years. Gendry was disgusted with Joffrey in a way that he had not thought was possible. He had not shared this information with Arya. He knew that if she knew he would go after his balls.

"Mr. Tyrell do you have any other questions for the defendant?" Judge Mormont asked.

"I do Your Honor."

"Then continue. Mr. Lannister please resume your seat on the stand."

Joffrey shot another harsh comment to his attorney before huffing over to the stand. He took his seat and glared at ADA Tyrell.

"I believe that my last question went something along these lines; is there any way that your attack on Miss Stark the first time that you have forced yourself on woman." ADA Tyrell asked again.

"It was the first time that I have been made aware that my partner was dissatisfied with the sexual act that she had performed on me." Joffrey’s voice was tense and his words were forced.

"You mean that this was the first time that one of your victims went to the police before you were able to buy them off. The first time that one of them fought back and the first time that you were caught." ADA Tryells voice was angry and with every accusation, his volume rose until it filled the entire room.

"Objection. The persecution is badgering the witness." Mr. Pycelle shot to his feet.

"Sustained. Mr. Tryell can you let the defendant answer one accusation at a time?"

"Yes Your Honor. Redirect?"

The judge nodded his head and the attorney walked back to his table to take a sip of water and collect himself.

"You never on any occasion recall paying off a partner for being to rough or continuing the sex act with her once she had shown that she was no longer interested?" ADA Tyrell asked once more in a calm voice.

"I have given presents to every one of my sexual partners. It was not a bribe, but a gift. And I cannot recall a single instance when one of my partners objected to the act that we were performing." Joffrey answered in just as controlled a tone as the attorney had asked.

"I would like to offer into evidence the reports and statements that Detectives Bronn and Yoren uncovered in the course of their investigation." ADA Tyrell picked up the report once again and waved it around. He handed a copy to the defense and one to the jury. They were silent for a few moments while they looked over the pages.

"As I asked before Mr. Lannister, was Miss Stark the only victim that ever stood up to you and told you no? Is that why you struck her in the face?" Willas Tyrells voice was so soft that Gendry had to strain to hear what he was asking.

Joffery was shaking with barely controlled rage. He was on the verge of exploding. Gendry looked over to the left of the aisle and noted that Cersei Lannister was clutching the arm of her twin until her knuckles were white. She looked a furious as her son and Gendry was afraid for the ADA.

"She was not attacked. I already told you I did not realize at the time that what I was doing at the time was wrong. The mixture of medications and wine made me act the way that I acted. I have already explained this to you." Joffrey all but yelled.

ADA Tyrell smiled at Joffrey’s outburst. He had gotten the response that he had wanted. Gendry was pleased to see Joffrey’s pleasant facade falter and his true colors were shown to the jury.

"So you are not accountable for your actions that evening?" The question was said with a shrug.

"No I was not. I was not in my right mind. If I had been that little bitch would never have gotten out of the car and gone to the cops. If I had been in my right mind we wouldn’t be here." Joffrey shot back.

"No further questions."

Joffrey stood to get off the stand.

"You do not stand until I tell you you can leave the stand Mr. Lannister. Now please be seated until I allow you to leave." Judge Mormont’s voice stopped Joffrey in his tracks. He sat back down in his seat. His jaw was clenched. "You may step down."

Joffery stood once more, walked over to the defense table, and sat down. His lawyer was whispering to him as he looked at the report of the other women who had complained against him. Rage flashed across his face and he reached for a legal pad and wrote a note on it. He handed the note to his mother. Her calm face went from red to white to red again.

"Does the defense have any more witnesses to call to the stand?"

"No Your Honor." said.

"Do you wish to call any rebuttal witnesses to the stand Mr. Tyrell?"

"No Your Honor. We are now ready to issue out closing statement."

"Then proceed."

Sansa 

She was sitting on the edge of her seat as the two lawyers prepared to issue their closing statements. She knew that she was squeezing Sandor and Arya’s hands to tightly. It was almost time for the jury to decide who they believed more, her or Joffrey.

ADA Wallis Tyrell walked to stand in front of the jury box. His hands were in his pockets and he gave the picture of being the boy next door. He had a charm and an ease that oozed off him that made people like him.

"Ladies and gentlemen you have heard during the cores of the trial evidence that this young man violated a young woman on a night that should have been nothing but a good time. You have been shown that he has had violent tendencies in the past and that he has, also in the past, violated the trust and comfort of other sexual partners. However, the only reason that we know about this attack is because Sansa Stark had the courage to stand up for herself and say "no I will not be made a victim." She is an inspiration for many victims out there who have not been brave enough to come forward. It is because of her that we now know of three other young women that the defendant has also victimized. I implore you all to do the right thing and find the defendant guilty of the charges that are being brought against him. Because he knew, knew without a doubt, what he was doing that evening. He was not confused or under the influence of liquor and medication. He was under the influence of the mindset that he could violate a young woman and not suffer any consequences. He knew full well what he was doing and that it was wrong, but he did it anyway. It is because of these reasons, these facts that you should find the defendant guilty." ADA Tyrell walked back to the persecution table and sat down again.

There was a slight murmurer in the gallery. Sansa was close to tears from that speech. She felt that ADA Wallis Tyrell had done a fantastic job with the case. If things went wrong, she would not fault the assistant district attorney for not presenting the case properly.

It was the defenses turn to give their closing statements. She was nervous. She had a feeling that they would try to paint her as a heartless gold digger or something just as nasty. Sansa sat up straighter on the wooden bench. She was ready for the worst the Lannister’s kept lawyer had up his sleeve.

"We are here today to decide the future for a very bright, promising young man who sits there in that chair.” He pointed at Joffrey. “He is accused of committing some very serious and horrible crimes against Miss Stark. But the simple fact is is that he was unaware of what he was doing. We have shown you that he was not himself that evening. We also know that he and the so-called victim were having a conversation pertaining to sex at the time of the alleged attack. The simple fact of the matter was that this whole sorry affair was a sad mistake. My client is not guilty of anything but being stupid and young. Now that you know the facts you cannot in good conscience find my client guilty." Pycelle took his seat at the table beside his client.

Sansa relaxed slightly. That had not been as bad as she had expected. They had not made her out to be some kind of prick tease who was asking for it. They had not made her out to be a gold digger. But they did try to make Joffrey out to be a dumb kid who had made a mistake. Well he had all right. He had finally been caught. The judge dismissed the jury to deliberate. Now all that they had to do was wait.

Sansa refused to leave the courtroom until the jury was back and they gave their verdict. She hoped that they would find Joffrey guilty. She knew that the most that Joffrey could receive of jail time was seven years, and the least could be one year. But some time was better then none. He also would have to register himself on the sex offender’s registry. That was well worth it to her. That way whoever he got involved with next would know what he had done.

Sandor and Arya sat with her as they waited. Gendry went to get them all coffee or tea. They were coming up on two hours of waiting when the judge reappeared into the courtroom. There was a hush that settled on the gallery. He sat down behind the bench and the bailiff called the gallery into order. The jury filed in and sat down.

"Has the jury reached a decision?" Judge Mormont asked.

"We have Your Honor."

"What is your verdict?"

"We find the defendant guilty of rape and of oral copulation." The foreman announced.

Sansa felt light headed and faint. She had won. Joffrey was guilty and the whole world knew just what kind of an animal he was. She couldn't stop smiling and she was crying tears of joy. The gallery erupted into cheers of joy at the verdict.

"This court is still in session. You all in the gallery will be kind enough to remember that." The judge banged his gavel and the gallery was silent once more. "You will be sentenced in one weeks’ time Mr. Lannister." Judge Mormont looked over at Joffrey.

Sansa let her eyes flick over to him and she could not stop smiling. Cersei was openly weeping and clutching Joffery to her. When the court officer came to escort Joffrey to the jail in the courthouse, she screamed and grabbed for him.

"My baby. I won't let you take my baby." She wailed.

Sansa tensed as she watched the grown woman react so violently. She looked over to Myrcella and she was crying into Aegon chest. Sansa’s happy mood was slightly dampened at the reaction of her friend. Then she watched them slap the cuffs on Joffery and he was led away from the courtroom and her mood lightened again.

Arya hugged her and started to jump up and down chanting "Guilty, guilty, guilty." Sansa smiled at the reaction her sister was showing. She found herself joining in with her sister’s glee. They stopped their celebration. She turned to her other side and Sandor was standing beside her with a large grin on his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with everything she was worth. In that, moment she decided that she was going to have sex with Sandor. He had been patient and loving and there for her the entire time of her ordeal.

"It is all over Sansa. You won." Sandor smiled down at her.

"I love you Sandor."

"I love you too."

She kissed him one last time. The walked out of the courtroom hand in hand. This was the best day of Sansa’s life and nothing could bring her down today.


	30. Bad News, Good News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the second new chapter from me today on this story. If you skipped The Verdict check that one out first! Read and enjoy!

Bran

All waiting rooms look the same. They are all to clean and have the same old issues of the same shitty magazines. Bran sat looking at a back issue of Men’s Health. Ned was on his phone writing emails to the office. He was glad that it was his dad that was with him to see the new neurologist. His mother would have been mean to the new doctor because once she set her mind on something she didn't change her opinion, and her opinion on Dr. Baelish was already made. He was the best doctor to cure Bran.

"Bran Stark?" The medical assistant called from the door that lead back into the actual clinic. Bran and Ned stood up and walked to the young girl who smiled and told them to follow her. They walked down a hall past exam rooms and around a corner to a regular office. Sitting at the desk with her back to the Starks was a woman on the phone.

"Yes I would like a copy of all his scans. I am consulting for the Starks. The patient wanted a second opinion. My office has already faxed you a copy of the release to have his records transferred to my office. The patient and his father have requested that I have a copy of his records. There is no reason why you or your boss should not send them to me. In fact, what you are doing is not ethical. If I do not receive the records, including all his scans and lab work I will be forced to call the medical review board and have them launch an investigation into your office. Yes, thank you." The doctor hung up the phone and swung her chair around to look at the pair in her doorway.

Bran looked at the doctor. She was younger then he had imagined a leading neuron doctor would be. Her hair was wild and all over the place. And there was something in her eyes that Bran found comforting. It was liked she had seen bad things but she was laughing at them. She made Bran feel brave and he just knew that she would be able to figure out what was going on with him. Dr. Osha stood up, buttoned her white coat, and held out her hand.

"Mr. Stark, Bran I am pleased to meet you, as well as a little embarrassed that you head to hear that little exchange I was having on the phone." She shook Ned’s hand then Bran’s smiling the whole time.

"It is no problem Dr. Osha. I am glad that you are checking over everything in handling Bran’s case. Dr. Baelish has raised more questions then results. Bran and I are glad that you are willing to consult with us." Ned sat down in one of the two chairs set before the desk.

"I do not want to talk badly of another doctor in my field, but Dr. Baelish had been known to misdiagnose and mistreat patients from time to time for his own personal reasons. It is good that you are looking for a second opinion." Osha smiled at the pair. "Now Bran would you mind having a blood test and another brain scan today? I bet you are sick of needles and the whole hassle of brain scans, but I would like to see what is going on with you today."

"I don't mind. I figured that you would need to do something like that. So I came prepared. I didn't wear anything metal or magnetic. And needles are no problem now. I am used to them." Bran smiled sheepishly at the doctor. She smiled in return and nodded her head.

Osha pressed a button on her phone and a voice answered on the other end.

"Val I would like you to come get Bran Stark for a blood test and can you have the tech prep the MRI and CAT scans for him as well? And have his records arrived yet?"

"No not yet doctor. They should be here soon. Should I have one of the girls call and harass them again?" Val asked.

"No. Not yet. However, if the records are not here by the time Bran is done with the scans I will be calling the review board and reporting Baelish. I am sick of his office pulling this shit." Osha's eyes flicked over to the Starks and she blushed. "Sorry for the language sir. That will be all Val."

In a few minutes the medical assistant that had led them to the office came back to collect Bran to start his tests. She was the girl that Dr. Osha had been talking on the phone. She took Bran to the lab and sat with him while the lab assistant took his blood. She tried to get Bran talking and at first, he was not interested but there was something about the way that she commanded attention and demanded answers that Bran found himself telling her about his girl issues.

"I like this girl, and she kissed me. But she's older and my best friend’s sister and she sort of has a boyfriend. I feel like I am drowning and have no one to ask what to do. My family has been a little busy with its own drama lately and with my health issues and the things going on with my older sister, girl problems have not been at the top of the list of things to talk about. I just don't know what to do." Bran blushed as he confessed this to a stranger that was watching a tech draw blood from his arm.

"You should go after her. Life is short. That's what I have learned working here. Everything can change in a blink of an eye. The worst thing that can happen is that she says no. That's all the blood that we need Bran. Time to go get you scanned. Come on this way." Val led the way to a room with the big whirling machines and Bran knew the routine.

Bran changed into the gown, lay down on the table, and was slid into the MRI machine to have his head scanned. Val came back and led him to the CAT scan machine to have the rest of his body checked. He was sure that the chemo was bad for his body and he was pleased to find Dr. Osha was checking on all his body functions, not just for his head. When the scan was done, he changed back into his clothes and Val took him back to the doctor's office.

"That son of a bitch lied to us Cat. He is going to pay for this. I will make sure that he suffers for what that slimy shit has done to our son." Ned's voice raged behind a door to the men's room.

Bran stopped walking and looked at Val walking beside him. She looked as white as a sheet and started walking faster to the doctor's office. Osha was on the phone yelling into it. She was speaking a language that Bran did not recognize. It sounded like Latin, but he was not sure. Val cleared her throat and Osha hung up the phone and looked Bran right in the eye.

"Bran would you sit down? I have some news to share with you." She indicated the chair in front of the desk but Bran shook his head and continued to stand. "Suit yourself. What you have Bran is not a tumor. You had one tumor, but that was removed. What remains is an aneurism. It has grown in size, the rate that it is growing it will rupture, and you will die. The chemo that that snake was giving you was progressing the growth faster than normal. We will have to operate, but the good news about that is that once it is taken care of things should be back to normal for you."

Bran sat in stunned silence for a few moments, and then his anger surfaced. He felt a burning desire to kill Dr. Baelish. He had put him through so much in the last few months. He could have died at any moment due to a blown aneurism and he had done nothing, except tell him that it was a tumor.

"How long have I had it?" Brans voice was calm and cold while his insides burned with rage.

"From your first trip to see Baelish. He knew about the entire time and did nothing." Her words were spoken softly. “He could have taken it when he took the tumor out.”

Bran looked at the doctor before him and at his father beside him. He could have been healed months ago. He had undergone countless sessions of chemo for nothing. His stomach rolled and he felt like throwing up. He fought his body. He was finished being sick. He now wanted vengeance.

"He will pay for this."

"He will son." Ned walked into the room then and stood by the doorway looking at his son to gauge his reaction to the news. "We will be able to make sure he pays."

Sansa

It had been a hard few months but things had finally taken a turn for the better when the courts had believed that Joffery Lannister was a bad guy. Her sister had other names for Joffery, but Sansa was not as crass as her sister was. Sansa was glad that it was all behind her but she still had a long way to go before she was going to be back to normal, but having Joffery in jail was a relief to her. Another thing that was helping was seeing a psychologist two times a week.

Today she went straight to see her shrink after school. She was going to bring up an issue that she had been avoiding for a long time since she started her sessions. She sat in her car outside office and took a breath before walking in and opening up a can of worms that she was not totally ready to open, but she knew that she needed to do it.

The air conditioning blasted her as she walked into the office. The cheery receptionist told her to take a seat and she would be in to see the doctor in a few moments. Sansa pulled out her phone and started to text Sandor. She had gotten a Cosmo from the newsstand the other day and had read an article about how to "Turn a guy on with texts." It had been a stupid article but it was worth a try to see what would happen if she tried to talk dirty with her boyfriend. She had decided to take it to the next level in their relationship so why not start now.

_Hey sexy. I miss you._

God she felt like an idiot. She never called him sexy, even though he was. She had seen him without a shirt on and his body was perfect. But she felt like an idiot for calling him sexy.

_Hey yourself. Are you at the shrinks?_

_Yeah, but I can't stop thinking about you. I wish that I were with you so I could kiss you._

Corny and dumb. She was squirming on the inside. She felt like a total dork.

_I want to be with you as well. What about tonight? We have that math test to study for. Want to get together and study?_

_I have another idea of something that we can study. Only you can help me. I have to go in to my appointment, I will talk to you when I am done to get this study session figured out._

_All right. I will be waiting._

Sansa was not sure that this is what Cosmo meant but it was a start. Maybe she would stop at a bookstore on the way home and get a smutty romance novel to show her how to talk dirty. When her appointment time came, she walked into the "gossip spot" to get ready to embark on the difficult part of her recovery from her assault.

Olanna Tyrell was not the kind of person that you would think would become a psychologist upon first meeting her or hearing about her family. She had been recommended to Sansa from Willas Tyrell when he had first sat her down to work on her testimony for the trial. She had been unable to talk about that night without breaking down. He had looked at her and then said in a soft voice of his that he would like to call in his grandmother to help them be able to get her ready for the trial.

At first Sansa had not been happy with Olanna Tyrell. She was abrasive, blunt and truth be told slightly scary. But one thing that Sansa found refreshing was that she treated her like a real person, not a fragile person who had to be dealt with using kid gloves. As the weeks of prep went on and Sansa continued to meet with the old lady she began to gain strength and confidence that she did not know she had started to emerge from within herself. When the prep was over, she told her parents that she wanted to continue to see Dr. Tyrell to help her deal with the stress of the trial. Now that the trial was over her mother wanted her to stop seeing a shrink, but Sansa had used her newfound backbone and told her mother that she was not going to stop seeing her until she thought she was ready.

"Sansa dear. So good to see you. So what is it that you want to talk about today?" Dr. Olanna asked from her seat in her chair that reminded Sansa of a throne. Sansa always thought of Dr. Olanna as the classic example of a Lady and in her mind, she called her Lady Olanna, not doctor.

"Well I was thinking we could broach the subject of sex." Sansa’s cheeks flamed red and she could not look the lady in the eyes.

"Oh a subject that I love discussing. Alright my dear, sit down and let us talk about sex and the strange enigma of the male mind." Lady Olanna smiled and Sansa couldn't help but return the smile.

"I think I am ready to take the next step in my relationship with Sandor. He has been so amazing with me, waiting for me to be ready and all that. And he has given me pleasure on more than one occasion, but I have not been able to bring myself to go below his belt."

"You mean that he had gone below yours but you haven't given his cock attention?" Olanna asked watching Sansa’s face get even redder. "Why is that dear? I know that you care for the boy, what do you think is the cause for your hesitation?" Sansa suspected that Lady Olanna knew the answer to the question already but wanted her to say it aloud.

"Every time I think of going for his thingy…"

"Now Sansa in this office we do not call the magnificent member of the male anatomy a thingy. It is a dick or cock. Or if you are not ready to it either of those things we can go clinical and call them by their medical name of penis. Rather boring I think, but it will work."

"Okay. Let me try to explain again using the right words. Every time I go for his penis, I can't bring myself to do it because I have flashes of Jofferys. And once I think of that I still get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach and I cannot bring myself to do anything. I freeze and I am tired of doing this. Sandor is important to me and I know he says he doesn't mind me not reciprocating any sexual release for him, but I want to. I want to overcome this so I can have normal relations with my boyfriend."

"Do you feel better saying that out loud?" Olanna smiled over at Sansa.

"Yeah. I do. Wow. But I don't think just saying that I am frightened of penises is enough. I have so many questions that I want to have answered. Like is there a way to have sex without seeing Sandor’s penis or me touching? How can I make him aroused without touching him there? Will I ever get over this fear enough to have a normal sex life? And more questions then I know how to ask."

"Well I can answer some questions for you Sansa. One is that there is a way to have sex without touching the man's pens with your hands. You have to touch it somehow. It will have to touch you, but you will not have to touch it with your hand and if it is dark where you have sex, you won't see much so that doesn't matter much. And men are aroused by the strangest things that get them hard and ready for sex it can be almost too easy to get them in the mood. A good heavy make out session should be enough to get his libido going. And in time with the right partner and therapist you will be able to have a completely normal sex life." Lady Olanna smiled at Sansa and she took comfort in what the old lady was telling her.

"Thank you for being so opened with me. I didn't know who to talk to about these things." Sansa confessed.

"That is what I am here for Sansa dear. I am here to help and guide you on your quest to regain your life back and make you strong again. Perhaps stronger then you were before. Well dear that is all the time that you have for the day. Until our next session." Olanna went behind her desk and Sansa walked out of the room.

Her sprites were high as she made her appointments for the next week and she practically skipped out of the office on the way to her car. She decided that she was not only going to get some smutty books to talk dirty to her boyfriend but maybe some new lingerie as well. Things were looking up for Sansa and she was going to make sure life stayed good.

Myrcella

"I know that I have been a shitty father for the majority of your lives, and I have not even come close to making it up to the two of you, but I have to make a request of the two of you that will make me happy for the first time in a long time." Robert stood pacing around his study while Myrcella and Tommen sat in the armchair in front of the fireplace.

Tommen watched his father with wide eyes full of love for the big man in front of him for the first time in his life. Since Cersei had left the house, Tommen had developed a god like love for his father and for Gendry as soon as they found out he was their brother as well. Myrcella was reminded of when she was small. Her father had treated her like a princess from her earliest memories. She was glad to have the father from her early memories back. But it also made her sad to know he had been there the entire time, but her mother had banished him from her life and Tommen for so long that they had forgotten what a good man he was.

"What is it that you want to ask daddy?" Myrcella asked. She had a theory about what he wanted, but she wanted to hear her father say it.

"I want to ask Helen to marry me. I want her to be a mother to you, the mother that you deserve. I want us to be a real family for the first time in your lives and I want us all to be happy. Yesterday the divorce from your mother was finalized and we are no longer married. I want your blessing to marry again. This time for love, not for business. What do you think?" Robert had started to talk fast and he was sweating as he made his request to his children.

Tommen sprung out of the chair and started dancing around the study in the total dork fashion of a young child. He was shouting, whooping, and making a complete racket. Myrcella just sat there smiling and Robert watched Tommen make a fool of himself. Things were looking up for them. Tommen was doing well in school, he no longer was making trouble at school, Robert was happy, and the business was doing well for the first time since he was young. Myrcella was happy as well. Her family life was great and her love life was even better. The only dark cloud that she was hanging over them was her mother.

Tyrion had made an iron clad case against Cersei. She got nothing but what she came into the marriage with. Pycelle had tried to get the judge to grant joint custody of Myrcella and Tommen. Myrcella spoke to the judge in privet and told him that she felt unsafe with her mother and was frightened to allow her younger brother be with her for any length of time without someone strong around to watch her mother and make sure that she did nothing to corrupt Tommen. He was still young and impressionable, she told the judge that if he let Cersei have joint custody she would warp Tommen the same way that she did Joffery and she would not allow that to happen.

So Cersei went back to her father with her tail between her legs and her depraved son behind her with nothing to her name but a small share in Roberts's company that would revert to Myrcella once she turned 18. That last little bit was Tyrion's idea. Robert was not pleased with the idea that the Lannister’s would have a hold of his company, but Tyrion had used his crafty mind and put a clause in the divorce that once the eldest child of their union became an adult the child got everything.

Cersei thought that the shares would go to Joffery because he had not been disowned yet, she had not been aware that Robert had taken in the DNA proof that Joffery was not his son to the courts that morning and the world knew that he was not Roberts's son. Therefore, the shares would go to Myrcella. Now Cersei would lose everything her father had schemed and sold her into once Myrcella was old enough to take control.

Thanks to her crafty uncle, she had decided to follow her father’s example and go into the family business. She knew that her father would love it if she took an interest in things at the family company and it would give them more time to spend together. She thought of it as the time that they lost.

Robert tore his eyes from his youngest son and came to sit down beside his daughter. He gave her a warm smile, reached out, and took her hand in his. Since he had started dating Helen, he had become more openly affectionate with his children. It was another improvement that Myrcella saw in her father.

"So you would be alright with me marring Helen? I will not ask unless I know that you and Tommen are all right with it. I have discussed it with Gendry and I know he is not very comfortable with the idea. I don't blame him, but he is willing to give his mother's happiness a chance. I want to think that you would do the same for me." Robert used his soft tone of voice, as if he was afraid to utter his plea to loud.

"Dad I think that you have waited too long to marry Helen. I wish that you had married her first instead of mom to tell you the truth. But if you would have done that Tommen and I would not be here." She smiled at him.

"The one thing that I am glad about from my marriage to your mother is that I have you and Tommen. I should have left her a long time ago. That would have eliminated all our suffering and pain."

Myrcella took her father’s hand in hers and they shared sad smiles. Then they went back to watching Tommen act like a fool. When he was finally out of breath, Tommen crumpled into a heap on the floor with his head in his arms. He then shot his head up and looked at his dad.

"When are you going to ask her? Soon right?"

"I was going to ask her at the dinner tonight that we are having with the Starks. I have some other news that I was going to share with you all. But it involves Ned as well. I won't share it with you now, but there will be more good news coming tonight then just me popping the question to Helen tonight."

There was a mischievous twinkle in Roberts's eye and Myrcella knew that he was bursting to tell them, but he would wait until Ned was there to share it with them. Tommen started to badger Robert and they walked out of the study together. Myrcella sat in the chair and smiled. Tonight would be one that she would remember. It would be a celebration for the Stark's and the Baratheon's that neither family would ever forget.

She walked up to her room and tried to decide what she needed to wear. She decided to wear a deep blue dress that would look nice with her hair up and the necklace that her grandmother had worn. She had tried to wear it a dozen times since Jamie had given it to her on the night of the party that her father had thrown for the Stark family on their coming south. But every time she had tried to put them on she was unable to bring herself to wear them. She did not want to admit it but she was part Lannister and she wanted to love that side of her, but with all the evil that they had done in their lives she was not able to bring herself to put on the necklace.

Tonight would be the night that she put it all behind her. She would overcome her conflicting feelings for her family and try to remember the good in them. From all that she had heard her grandmother was a saint. She was a woman who donated to charity, worked with the poor and always went out of her way to help those who were less fortunate then her. Her mother used to say that she reminded her of her grandmother. If there was one person in that side of her family that she wanted to know it was her grandmother. But she had died when her uncle Tyrion was born.

Her uncle would be there that evening and she knew that seeing her in his mother's jewels would make him sad, but she hoped that they would make him proud that she had them and she wanted him to see that there was still goodness in the Lannister line.

She prepared her hair in an elegant up-do and slipped into the blue dress that she had picked out. She looked in the mirror and cringed. She looked like her mother when she was younger. She did not want to look like Cersei, but there was nothing she could do about that now. She stood there and looked at her reflection. She wished that she could have been born with the Baratheon blue eyes that her father and uncle and her half-brother had. But she got her mother's green eyes. They used to make her proud, but now all she saw was a dark mark, a reminder to what she was. The daughter of an evil bitch who would stop at nothing to hurt people. She decided that she would call for a hair appointment and see if there was something she could do to change her looks. If she got rid of the blond hair then she would make one-step into changing the part of herself that she wanted to hide from the world. If she could make herself, more Baratheon she could make herself fully embrace herself.

Gendry

For the first time in his life, he understood what Jon was saying when they talked about how shitty tuxes were. He tried for the seventh time to tie the bowtie. He tapped the play button on the YouTube video to show how to make a bowtie. He did what the stupid guy did it, but then when he was supposed to be at the end he had not made the tie into a bow.

"Goddamn, stupid motherfucker!" Gendry yelled into the bathroom.

He was getting ready in the Red Keep and he knew that no one would be around to help him with the tie in this part of the house. He and his mother had moved in two weeks ago and he had a wing all to himself. It was a strange feeling being in a wing when he had always had a small house with just him and his mother. Now he had people who always came when he wanted something. People who cleaned and cooked for him and did almost everything. When it was just him and his mom he was the one who did the cooking and cleaning. He did not want that advertised that he was very domestic but he was.

He walked out of the bathroom and into his bedroom and then he walked out into the hallway. He stood there with the tie loosened around his neck and went in search to find someone to help him with the tie.

He found his mother and Robert in the study. He stood there watching his mother and father whisper and talk. They were like two high-scholars. They were always whispering and holding hands. They were always stealing kisses and they were so cute together that it made him both happy and sick. A kid was not supposed to walk in on his parents making out. He tried to back up but the door creaked and he saw them freeze and look up at him. He knew that he was caught and walked into the room. He kept his eyes down cast.

"Um, I was having a problem with this tie. I wanted to know if someone could help me with this stupid thing." He asked.

"Sure honey. I can help. Come over here." Helen smiled at him the way that she did when he used to ask for help double knotting his sneakers.

He stumbled into the study to where his mother was. He stood in front of his mother and she turned him around. Her hands reached around and she started to tie his tie. She fumbled for a moment then gave an angry sound when she could not tie it either.

"You are to tall for me. I can't do it right." Helen said walking from behind him and looking up at him.

"The boy gets that from my side of the family." Roberts booming voice filled the room. "Come here son. Let me help you with that."

Gendry walked over to his father and he stood still as a stone as his dad helped him with the tie. They were the same height. In fact, they had many similar things in common. They had the same hair, eyes and build. He wondered again how his mother could look at him for all the years, watching him grow into the very image of his father and not feel sad. How she could see Robert at his school function and not be angry. When he asked her, she said that he was the proof that she had known love once. And it was from that love that she and his father shared was proof, standing before her every day that she looked at his face. She told him love isn’t supposed to be easy, if it was everyone would have it.

"There you go son. All tied. You look like a true Baratheon." His father's eyes were full of joy and love. It was not the first time that he wondered if his father was pinning all his hopes for the future on him. Part of him knew that Robert wanted him to follow in his footsteps and take up the mantle that he had to for the family name when Roberts's parents died all those years ago.

"Thanks Rob, um, dad. I guess one of these days you should show me how to do this. The stupid videos online are shit and I don't understand them." Gendry smiled at his father.

"Don't worry son. I had to have the butler help me until I was 35. They are a real bitch. Let me tell you a secret. I always use clip on if I can get away with it." He reached up to his neck and clipped off his tie.

"Robert! You scoundrel. Go upstairs this moment and get a real tie!" His mother said smacking his arm.

"But Helen. I don't think I need to have a real one." Robert pouted.

"Robert Baratheon you march your ass to that closet of yours and get a real tie." Helen demanded.

"Yes dear. Gendry, never fall in love it will be the death of you." Robert smiled as he trudged out of the room like a sullen child.

Once he was out of the room, his mother chuckled.

"God I love that man."

"Come on mom. Don't talk like that. I don't want to hear that stuff. It's gross."

"It is true son. I love your father. That is the truth. You better get used to it darling'." Her southern drawl came out when she was happy or mad.

"Mom do you have to use that Georgia twang when you are emotional?" Gendry whined.

"Yes son. Now will you get your brother, sister, and father and come down here? We all need to leave. Come on. All y'all need to get your asses moving."

Gendry walked away and chuckled. He was so glad that his mother was so happy. She no longer had to work. She had everything that she should have had when she all the long years that she had to live without Robert. No matter what he felt about the whole affair with Robert and Cersei and his mother he was glad that she was now happy and with a man that she loved.

He walked up to Tommen's room. He heard him talking to someone and Gendry figured that he was talking to his computer game buddies. Tommen had found one that was in an alternate reality about a world full of magic and dragons and blood. It was called A Song of Ice and Fire and Gendry had spent many hours learning who the characters were and how the mythos was created. But one thing that Gendry could admit was that the game was amazing. He started playing. His character was bastard from a place called Flea Bottom who worked with armor. He became a kick ass warrior and saved a damsel in distress. Somehow, Tommen had become king of the realm. He had told Jon about the game and he and the other Stark's still in the North started playing. Jon joined the Night Watch and Robb was fighting an effective war on Tommen. Somehow, Tommen was holding his own against Robb's army.

"If we attack the supply lines from Riverrun to the Kings Road we should be okay." Tommen's voice spoke into the head set. "No I do not want to involve either the Bolton’s or the Frey’s. They will create a blood bath and that would make my followers abandon me. We have to try something else to capture the right kind of coup."

Gendry cleared his throat. Tommen continued to talk to his "small counsel." Gendry walked further into the room and tapped on Tommen's shoulder.

"Fuck me!" Tommen yelled. Then the younger boy looked up and blushed a deep scarlet.

"No. It was nothing. But I have to go. I leave you in charge of operations until I return. King out." Tommen took off his head set. "Hey bro. You are not going to tell mom and dad about me saying a bad word are you?" Tommen's childlike voice morphed from the commanding King to the small boy that he really was.

"God kid I was saying worse things when I was your age and my mom didn't ever call me on it." Gendry smiled at the kid. Out of all the changes in his life he was happiest about having Tommen as a younger brother. Ever since he had rescued him from that tree, he had always liked that kid.

"Good. I am ready for the big dinner. Are you excited that dad is going to ask mom to marry him?" Tommen was in a mini tux like the one that Gendry and Robert were wearing.

Gendry was happy to see how easily Tommen had adapted to his mother.

"We are ready. Dad was told off by mom for wearing a clip on tie. She sent him to his room to change it. Are you wearing a clip on?" Gendry asked.

Tommen visibly gulped. "Yes. Will mom make me wear a real one? I can't tie one!" Tommen was looking nervous.

"I don't think that she will care if you wear one. Now go on downstairs. Mom is waiting."

Tommen dashed down stairs and Gendry walked to find Myrcella. Her door was shut when he knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Gendry was not used to the language that the rest of the household used to tell other people to enter their rooms. He opened the room and his breath caught. Myrcella was standing in front of a mirror looking amazing. She was in a blue dress that made her look amazing. Her green eyes flashed fire and they were extenuated by the blue dress, the Baratheon blue that he had become known of.

"Um, we are ready to go. Are you done getting ready?" He asked

"Yes I am ready. Do I look okay? Aegon is going to be there. I want to look good for him." She looked at herself in the mirror.

"You look amazing sis. I like what you did with your hair." He apparently chose the wrong thing to compliment on her. She turned back to the mirror and started to pull it down. Then her hands flew into making her hairstyle into something completely different.

"Does it still look okay?" She asked her voice venerable.

"Yeah. It looks fine. A little less glossy and blond, but all right. Come on. Dad and mom are waiting." Gendry turned to walk back down the stairs to meet up with his parents.

"So are you okay with dad asking your mom to marry him?" Myrcella asked.

"Yeah. I think that she needs someone to make her happy and he does that. She had been holding out for him for almost nineteen years. I think it is time for my mom to be with someone who loves her." Gendry answered truthfully.

"I know what you mean. My parents never loved each other, they hated each other. Helen makes him happy. The happiest that he has been for as long as I can remember." She said.

They walked the rest of the way in silence to the stairs. Gendry's parents were waiting. They all walked out to the limo together. Tommen was chatting with Helen. Robert had his arm around Myrcellas shoulders and talking to her softly. Gendry saw his sisters cheeks blush with happiness. In the few months, that Helen had been in the family the Baratheon family had gone from a broken fragmented group to a loving working unit. He was happy to be a part of a family for real.

They drove to the restaurant and filed into it. They saw the Stark family and saw that they were not alone at the table. Tyrion and Renly were there as well. Gendry was happy to see that Aegon and Sandor sitting at the table. They took their seats. He sat next to Arya. She looked amazing in a black dress that reminded him of something he had seen in an old movie that he had watched on one of the newly created Baratheon movie night. It had been an Audrey Hepburn movie and he had to admit that it had not been that bad. Arya looked like she had stepped out of an old Hollywood film.

Gendry smiled at her and she placed her hand on his thigh and slid it up so that she could trace the outline of his growing penis. She was talking to her mother. Gendry tried to keep the blush that he felt heating up his face. She started to rub him harder and he had to forcibly remove her hand from his crouch. He sat there trying to calm down when Robert cleared his throat.

"We have two things to be celebrating tonight. The first is that my company is no longer in the red!" The table broke into applause. "The other thing is about to become clear to everyone at the table." Robert then fell to one knee, pulled out a ring box, and turned to Helen. She had tears streaming down her face and Gendry had never seen his mother look so happy. "Helen Waters will you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me? Will you grow old and fat with me like we were meant to do all those years ago?"

"Yes. I will marry you." She kissed him, then broke the kiss, and gave him a punch in the arm. "It is about damn time you dummy." She went back to kissing him and the whole restaurant cheered.

"Let me be the first one to congratulate you two. Out with the old and in with the better." Tyrion raised a glass and toasted. Everyone at the table joined in. "This is a much better match. Your first wife was a real bi..."

"Tyrion!" Helen and Catelyn yelled at the same time.

"What? I was just going to say she was a real bitter woman. Nothing bad about that." He tried to look innocent and harmless. Gendry and Arya chuckled together at Tyrion's joke.

"Gendry I am so happy for you." Arya leaned over and kissed him.

"I am happier for them.” He nodded at his parents. They were chatting to Renly and Helen was showing him her ring. Gendry looked around the table. Sansa and Sandor were holding hands and talking with Myrcella and Aegon. Tommen and Rickon were looking at some kind of notebook, probably talking strategy for their game. Bran was talking to Tyrion and they seemed to be in a deep conversation, Tyrion was not drinking his wine, the cup was in his hand but not on its way to his lips. The couple that worried Gendry the most with their hushed conversation was Ned and Catelyn.

Catelyn looked angry and Ned looked confused but determined. Gendry was going to ask Arya what they were talking about but he never got that chance.

"I have another announcement." Ned said to the table. "Since Robert and the company are doing so well we can move back home in the next two weeks!"

There was an outcry of anger from the table.

 


	31. Running Blind

Arya

Arya sat in the shocked silence of the announcement that her father had just made. She felt as if she had been sucker punched in the gut. All the air had been sucked from her. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. She was holding Gendry’s hand and it felt like cold stone instead of the warm hand it usually was.

Then she remembered how to breathe and speak. And once she remembered there was no way in hell she was going to sit there and let her father destroy her life.

"Fuck that dad. There is no way in hell that I am moving back to the North." She said a deadly soft voice. It was lucky for her that her father was sitting beside her or he would never have heard her.

"Excuse me young lady, but that is not the language that I want you to be using. And this is not the place for this discussion." Ned said in a calming voice that he used in the boardroom when the enemy was getting all riled up.

"Look father there is no FUCKING WAY that I am moving back to the Fucking NORTH." Arya yelled. The noise in the restaurant dropped to nothing. There was complete silence. Catelyn looked scandalized and on the verge of tears. Robert looked both amused and angry at the same time. Renly was acting as if a new play was in town and he wanted to memorize it to have his class play it out later on. Helen looked white and worried. Tyrion was watching with his usual calculating look on his face. The other young people at the table were still in shock from the announcement but looked proud that Arya had spoken up.

"Arya Lyanna Stark this is not the place to talk about this matter. Now kindly lower your voice, and apologize for the language and volume that you have chosen to employ." Ned almost growled at his youngest daughter.

"You made this the place to discuss this when you made your announcement." Arya shot back.

"She is right Dad. You opened this floodgate and there is nothing that you can do to stop it now." Brans weakened voice said from the end of the table. Ned and Catelyn's eyes shot to their sick sons pale face.

Arya looked at her brother and smiled. There was a look in his eye that had not been there since he had become sick. There was the fire there and she was glad that she had him on her side. She was lost in the moment of silent sibling commination with Bran that she almost missed Gendry talking to her.

"I think that your dad is right. We should not discuss this Arya. Wait till you get home to talk about this move."

Arya whipped her head around and looked at him. If there was one person here at the table that she had counted on for support it had been Gendry. Things had been so amazing for them. She was in love with the big oaf and she thought that he was in love with her too. But looking into his eyes, she saw not the support, but indecision and confusion.

She ripped her hand from his. She stood in one fluid motion. She looked at her father and Gendry and felt her whole world collapse. The two people that she loved most in the world were betraying her. She looked at Sansa. She was clinging to Sandor as if he was the only solid thing in the world. Myrcella looked slightly shell shocked. Aegon was watching her with bright eyes. He knew that she was up to something and she knew that he would help her. Her eyes flicked to the door then back to the table. She was coming up with a plan. Now all she had to do was not chicken out.

"Here is the thing dad, I'm not going back until I am good and ready, and I don't give a shit about what you think we are going to do. And the first thing that I need is a ride." Her eyes flicked back to Aegon. He nodded his head, slid his free hand into his pocket, and drew out his bike keys. "The other thing is that unless I want to be found you won't find me. I am sorry Bran, Rickon and Sansa. Mother don't cry. And as for you dad you can take this move and shove it up your ass." Arya stepped back from her chair as Gendry reached for her.

"Arya please. Don't do anything stupid." He pleaded.

"Don't touch me Gendry. When this is all over I hope that I still feel the same about you." She tore her eyes from Gendry and shot them over to Aegon. He threw her the keys. Her hand shot out and caught then at the same time her father and Gendry went for them as well. She sprinted for the door. She heard the outcry of everyone at the table as she tore out the door and to the parking lot.

She found Aegon’s bike and swung her leg over it. She inserted the key and kicked it to life. She jammed the helmet to her head and tore out of the parking lot. She heard someone calling her name as she swerved into traffic. It had been a few months since she had been on a bike. Back at Winterfell, she had a dirt bike that Jon and Robb had pieced back together for her. As the old saying goes it was just like riding a bike for it all to come flooding back to her. She threaded her way between cars and started to freeze her ass and tits off in the chilly night air. She needed to go somewhere that they would never look for her.

The first person that came to mind was Hot Pies. She turned onto the road that lead to his house and sped down the road. She was at his house in moments. She swung off her borrowed bike and hurried up to the door. She pounded it and Hot Pie answered.

"Arya? I heard Aegon’s bike. Why do you have it?" He held the door opened for her to enter.

"It's kind of a long story. And I can't stay for long. Gendry is going to be out looking for me. What I really need is a change of clothes. Is there any way that you would have something that I could use?" She was slightly out of breath. She wanted to stay at Hot Pie’s house, but eventually they would find her. She had to keep moving. If she looked back, she was lost. Gendry wanted her to leave, but she couldn’t think like that.

"Believe it or not I do. Leather work for you? A groupie that I met two weeks ago came home with me and she left her stuff here." Hot Pie walked back to his room to grab the clothes in question.

"Hot Pie you hound dog. I am impressed." She said following him.

"Hey the other guys have their fun and most of them are taken. Thoros and I get out pick of the hotties that want a piece of one of the Kings. Here" Hot Pie handed over a pile of miss-matched clothes. Arya rifled around in them and then picked what she wanted.

"There is quite a selection here buddy. I think I will go with the black leather pants, the black long john shirt and the red leather jacket. You wouldn't happen to have a pair of size seven woman's boot lying around would you?" She asked half joking.

"Hand on, let me look." He trotted off to his room again and started making noise in his closet. He came out a moment later with a triumphant smile on his face and held up a pair of biker boots.

"You amaze me Hot Pie." She laughed and went to the bathroom to change her outfit. She was glad that Hot Pie was getting some action. She changed fast, went, and talked to Hot Pie. He was in the kitchen and there was a plated of food waiting for her.

"I fixed that for you and packed you some other food. I also slipped you some money. There is five hundred bucks in that bag, and the rest of the groupie clothes. But before I give this bag over to you I want to know what is going on.” Arya loved Hot Pie in that moment. He was a true friend and his willingness to help her amazed him. She filled him in as she stuffed her face with the chicken potpie that he had place before her.

"Shit Arya. I think that you over reacted. But I am here to help. And if I get punched by that muscular boyfriend of yours I am not going to forgive you." He said to her. She didn’t see how she was over reacting.

She put the last forkful of food in her mouth, chugged the milk, went around the table, and kissed Hot Pie on the cheek. "Thanks Hot Pie. You are the best. If there is anything that I can ever do to make this up to you I will do it."

"I will think of something. Now get out of here. Gendry is going to be calling me any moment now looking for you and I just want you to know that I won't lie to him when he calls. So don't tell me where you are going." He told her as she slid into the jacket. She wanted to tell him to lie, but that was not his style. He was honest.

“Okay. Thanks Hot Pie. For everything.” She said.

“You already said that. Now get out of here before I change my mind and take you back to your family.” He told her.

Arya smiled, grabbed the bag and left the house right as Hot Pies cell phone was ringing. That reminded Arya that she could be tracked with her phone. She looked up the two numbers that she needed, wrote them on her hand then left it beside Hot Pies door with a message on it for her dad and Gendry. She swung onto Aegon’s bike and tore off into the night.

Eddard

After Arya had diapered Ned had tried to follow her, but she had gotten on a motorcycle and took off. He had wanted to follow her in his car, but he had four children still with him and a wife in shock. He had hustled Cat and Rickon home to try to see if she had gone home, but she had not been there. Then he remembered the tracking devise in her phone and went to his study to look it up on his computer.

"I told you Ned that it was a bad idea to tell the children at dinner. I knew that they wouldn't like it. And now three out of the four children that we have with us are missing." Catelyn said with a wobble in her voice.

"Bran is with the Reeds talking about his new treatment plan and Sansa is with Sandor. We know where they are. And I am looking for Arya as we speak." He was on a computer looking at a blinking light that was the GPS location of Arya’s phone.

"That is what I mean. We do not know where she is." Catelyn sobbed. "She could be anywhere. She could be hurt or lost or being attacked and there is nothing that I can do to help her."

In hindsight, he was a total idiot for telling the kids about the move back to the North in such a public place. He should have done what Catelyn suggested and done it at home. But he had thought that he knew what he was doing. He had honestly believed that they would be happy to go home after everything bat that had happened to their family in the South. He knew that Arya would be the one that gave him the hardest time with the move back. But he never expected her to leave like that.

Gendry was just as tore up about her running away as he was. The way that she rejected him had stung the boy to his soul. He had told Gendry that when he had her GPS location he would let him know. So he picked up his phone and dialed the number.

"Gendry I know where she is. Are you able to meet me there?" Ned asked writing the location and grabbing his keys from off his desk. He kissed his wife and walked out the door.

"Yes sir. What is the address?" Gendry asked over the phone.

Ned told him what the GPS was reading. He heard Gendry curse on the other line.

"That's our friend Hot Pies house. I'm going to give him a call and I will meet you there." Gendry hung up the phone and Ned slid into his car. He had his personal navigation system with him and watched, as he got closer to the flashing red light that was his daughter.

When he pulled into the driveway behind a shiny silver sports car, he knew. He knew that it was Gendry’s because he was sitting on the front steps holding a phone in his hand. Ned jumped out of his car and raced over to the boy.

"Where is she? Is Arya here?" He demanded.

"She was here sir. Less then twenty minutes ago. All that is left here is her phone. And there is a message on it for us I think. It says  _how does it feel to be betrayed?_ " Gendry was looking at the phone with confusion written all over his face.

Ned yelled in frustration. He had lost Arya. She was out there somewhere and he had no clue how to find her. He hoped that his headstrong daughter would be home soon. He sat down beside Gendry and took the phone. He looked at the words. He was numb inside. Then he felt his phone vibrate in his jacket pocked. He answered it without looking at the ID.

"Hello?" His voice was eager and hopeful.

"Dad? It's Jon. I just got a call from Arya. She is safe. But she wanted me to tell you not to come looking for her. That she is not ready to come home. I don't know where she is, but I think that she is in a safe place. She said that she would call me tomorrow with another message. What the hell happened dad?" Jon demanded.

"Honestly son I have no idea." Ned said as he hung up the phone and cried.

Jon

"Robb, Theon we have to go down to LA. I just talked to mom and she told me that dad told the others that they were moving back. Arya freaked out and has run off." Jon said as he burst from his room into the living room of the apartment that they shared off campus.

"Arya has run away? Well check with her boyfriend. I'm sure they are together having animal monkey sex." Theon said from the couch. He had his video game controller in his hand and he was trying to sail a ship.

"Or ask that girl My-something. She's Arya’s best friend there. She should know where the little trouble maker is." Robb said as he had his character swing his sword at an opponent.

"She is not with either of them. She is mad at Gendry too. Will you two idiots stop playing the game and look at me! Our baby sister is alone in LA right now on a motor bike with no phone and no place to go. There are plenty of bad people in that city and god knows what is happening to her." Jon yelled.

Robb and Theon paused their games and set their controllers down. They looked at Jon for the first time since he had come out of his room. He was shaking and his eyes were wide with fear. Out of all the Starks Jon was the only one who knew how far Arya would go to avoid something she didn't want to do. And if she did not want to go, back to Winterfell and wanted to not be found there was nothing that any of them could do to get her back.

"Whoa there Jon. You have out attention. What do you want us to do?" Robb asked in his soothing tone.

"I want to go to LA and help dad find Arya!" Jon all but yelled. He had his hands in his hair and was pacing around the living room like a caged animal.

"I will look for a flight right now." Theon offered trying to be helpful.

"Now Jon, I'm going to call mom. Why don't you go pack?" Robb suggested as he pulled out his phone.

Jon grunted a non-committal sound as he shuffled back into his room and grabbed a sports bag that he used as a suitcase. He walked to his dresser and threw in his completely top drawer of socks and boxers. He then looked down at his bag and couldn't get his mind to comprehend that the bag was already full or that all it heals was socks and underwear. He just kept flashing to Arya dead on the side of some road in LA. He had told her to go there and change, and she had. His sister now had friends and a pretty cool guy for a boyfriend. She had said that when the year ended and Ned was moving them back that she was not going to go. She had said that she had a plan to stay there in the new life that she had made for herself. But each time that Jon had asked her how she planned on doing that she had laughed and said that a lady never reviled her secrets.

Jon was worried that she would be lost to them forever. He had to get there and try to find his headstrong sister and save her from the cruel world and from herself. Jon took a deep shuddering breath and went back to packing with a calmer attitude. Once his bag was packed with pants and shirts he walked out to the other room.

"Yes mom I understand. Jon will be there tonight at two. And you can have a car waiting at the airport for him? Okay mom. Let us know what is going on. I love you to mom. We will see you soon." Robb hung up the phone and looked at Jon. "Mom decided that Theon and I should not come till the end of the week, but that you should come tonight. There is a plane leaving here in half an hour so you had better have your shit packed. Theon is getting the car for you." Robb sounded tired. It was 10:42 at night.

"Okay." Jon grabbed the straps of his sports bag and Robb stood and gave him a bear hug.

"You find her Jon. If anyone can it's you." Robb understood Arya. When they were kids playing hide and seek on Winterfell’s grounds no one but Jon had ever been able to find her. Robb remembered the one time Arya had hidden behind a wheelbarrow from dusk until dawn. The whole estate was in a panic. When Jon had found her, she asked what took him so long, as if nothing had been wrong.

"I will Robb. I will text you when I get there." Jon walked out of the front door and made it to the car. Theon was in the driver's seat and they sped to the airport as if they were being chased by the undead.

"I know that I have no real family tie with you all but Arya is my sister too. Find her Jon. We are all counting on you to bring her back." Theon said when they had pulled up to the departure zone at the airport.

"I will Theon. I am not leaving there till I have her home." Jon got out of the car and ran to the ticked desk. He had fifteen minutes to get to the plane but the name Stark got him past all the security. He barely made it to the plane and just took his seat when the flight attendant started giving the standard preflight informational talk. Jon lay his head back and closed his eyes giving a prayer up to the gods that they watch over his sister and keep her safe.

"I'm coming Little Wolf. I am coming." Jon whispered.

Sandor

"Maybe we should go look at that gallery that she likes?" Sansa asked from the seat beside him. They had been driving around looking for Arya for an hour now and still had no clue where she could be.

"If you think she would be there it is worth a shot." Sandor turned on to the street what would take him into the art district of the city. They drove past the darkened galleries and studios that lined the street. With each one that they passed Sansa’s shoulders slumped more and more.

She was broken hearted that her father was going to move them back to the North. Sandor was as well. Things between them were almost perfect. No, it was perfect. He didn't need sex for things to be perfect. He just needed her. Or that's what he kept telling himself each time he touched her.

"It's hopeless Sandor. Can we go to the spot that you took me on that night we gazed at the stars?" Sansa asked.

"Sure. Let me stop at my house and get us some blankets." Sansa nodded and turned to look out in the crowded streets to try to spot her sister.

Sandor pulled up to his house and told her to wait there. He would only be a moment. He rushed into the house and sprinted up to his room taking the stared three at a time. He grabbed his comforter off his bed and then went to his bedside table and opened the drawer and took out a bottle of K-Y massage oil that was heat activated. He looked around his room, went to his closet, and yanked two jackets out. Then he was back to the stairs going down them and he flung himself out the door. He threw all that stuff into the back seat, looked over at Sansa, and smiled. He knew that he had frightened her when he threw that stuff in the car and apologized.

They drove in silence. Her hand was in his and she had her face angled up to the stars. She was deep in thought. He was beating himself up for grabbing that lube. If she saw that then she would know that he wanted to have sex. That was a stupid move on his part. Oh well to late now. Sandor opened his door and was about to get the blankets out when he saw Sansa reaching for them. He saw her stall when she noticed the K-Y.

"Um, that's not what you think it is. Honest. I grabbed it so I could give you a foot rub." The lie sounded stupid to him so he knew that Sansa wouldn't believe it either.

"Sandor I think that I am ready. I might not be ready for everything but I am ready for you." She smiled at him and his heart thundered in his chest.

He reached in the back, took the blanket from her, and almost ran to place it on the ground. For some reason he felt like a virgin all over again. He smoothed the blanket into place and sat down with butterflies in his stomach. The moonlight lit up the clearing so it was as bright as day. He looked back over to Sansa and she was standing by the door of the car. She had her eyes closed and seemed to be counting to ten. He opened his mouth to tell her that they could still wait, but then her hands were on the top button of her dress. Sandor watched as her milk white flesh was exposed at the base of her neck. The moonlight made her already pale skin glow. He swallowed deeply as she got to her bra. It was sheer and Sandor could see her erect nipples showing in the see-through material. He fought the urge to walk over to her, grab her around the waist, and take her on the hood of his car. But he knew that even now he had to hold back. She was like a frightened animal, move to fast and she would run.

She got the end of her buttons and held the ends of her dress close to her body like a robe. She walked away from the car and stood at the edge of the blanket. He reclined back and smiled at her, trying to tell her with his eyes how much he loved her. Sansa moved her hands to the neck of her dress, parted the material, and let it fall to the ground. Sandor caught his breath. In the moonlight, she glowed as if there was a light inside her. He leaned up, caught her hand, and tugged her down to the blanket with him. He kissed her tenderly ran his hands over her body. She shuddered and put her hands under his shirt. She tugged at it and he helped her take it off him. Then he unbuckled his belt. Sansa stiffened when she heard his zipper unzip.

Sandor cursed himself. She wasn't ready for this. He tried to pull away, to tell her that they could wait, but she kissed him fiercely and he went with it. His hands moved to her bra clasps and worked the hooks apart. Her silky breasts shined in the evening light. His hands covered them and she arched into his grasp. Her arms threaded around his neck and she led his head over her round perky globes. He placed tentative kisses on then then when she stared to moan with pleasure he intensified his appreciation. Sansa took ahold of Sandor’s jeans and tried to slip them down from around his waist.

Sandor took the lead and removed his jeans leaving them both in nothing but their underwear. Sansa had a pair of sheer panties that looked mouthwatering to Sandor. They blended in with her skin and made it look as if she was wearing nothing at all. He had no idea what kind of boxers he had on until Sansa made a comment.

"Are those Batman boxers?"

Sandor blushed and felt like he was five years old. He was wearing superhero boxers on a night when he should be sexy.

"I like Batman. He is the world's best detective." Sandor smiled.

She giggled and then she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down on top of her. Her hands roamed freely over his back and traced the muscles on his back. Sandor lifted his hips off her and removed her panties and let his hand touched her in the ways that he knew would make her ready for their lovemaking. He kissed her neck and trailed kisses on her collarbones while his hand worked his finger in and out. Then he put two inside her. She stiffened and she was panting along. He worked three fingers in and she gasped in discomfort. He had never used three on her but he knew that she would not be able to take him without some help.

He was hard and ready with his need. He took his hand from her breast and tried to remove his boxers with one hand while the other hand kept up its rhythm. He couldn't do it and gave a frustrated growl of anger. Sansa looked at his face, saw the anger there, and took another deep breath. Her hands went from his back to his boxers and helped push them from around his hips. His large erect penis was freed of its confines and sought Sansa’s warm opening on its own. Sandor removed his fingers and put the tip of his member at her opening.

Sandor looked deeply into her eyes and kissed her one more time.

"Are you ready?" He asked her.

"Yes. I am ready. Sandor I love you."

"I love you too."

He pushed himself inside her and he felt her tense. He pushed as gently as he could into her. He came to a small resistance and he took a moment to let Sansa get used to him. Then he pulled back once more, thrust inside her, and broke throw the resistance that was stopping him from entering her fully.

She cried out in pain and tears welled in her eyes. He knew that she was hurting but that it would fade. He wanted to sooth her pain, but when he started to move out of her, she put her hand in his hip and shook her head.

"No. Don't stop. It will be alright soon." Her voice was filled with pain and pleasure.

He moved his hips and started moving slowly in and out of her. She was so tight that he was not sure that he would last to long. He found the movements that pleased him and from the sounds that Sansa was making she was enjoying it as well. Sandor was close, so close that he if he died he would be a happy man. Sansa was panting and moving in clumsy motions to try to mimic his movements. Then she thrust her hips up to meet his and he couldn't control himself any longer. He grabbed her leg and kept it pinned so that her hips were off the ground and lost himself in Sansa. He came with a yell and collapsed on top of her.

He stayed there for a few seconds remembering how to breathe, think and move. He had never had an orgasm that strong before and he wasn't sure that he was going to be able to move. Then he realized that Sansa was not moving under him. For a moment, he thought that he had killed her. Then a sound that he was not expecting burst from Sansa. She giggled. They had just had sex for the first time and she was giggling!

"What is so funny?" He asked with a slight edge to his voice.

"Nothing is funny. That was the most amazing thing that I have ever experienced in my entire life."

"Then why were you laughing?"

"I don't know. I guess I giggle when I am completely and totally happy." She smiled and he rolled off her. She stretched her arms above her head and wiggled her toes. "I love you."

Sandor propped himself on his elbows and just watched her. If her body had been glowing before now it was a beacon. She could probably be seen from outer space. He ran his fingers between her breasts and smiled as he watched the goose bumps rise up on her skin.

"I don't want you to move back to the North. I want you to stay here." Sandor said suddenly.

"I don't want to go either." She snuggled close to him and he ran his hand along her back. “One way or another I’m staying with you.”

Jaqen

Jaqen was sitting in his studio off the back of his house with a glass of red wine in his hand looking at a painting that he was working on when he heard the rev of a motorcycle pull into his driveway. Curious, he walked into the house and to the living room to see whom it was coming to his house so late.

He had decided to stay in tonight and not follow Arya that evening. He knew that she was having dinner with her parents and the Baratheon’s so there was no threat from Gendry there. They would be under the close watch of Ned Stark and that slimy Bull would not be able to defile her with her father glowering at him.

The person on the bike was obviously a woman. The tight leather pants showed off the curves of her hips and the top showed the shape of large breasts. Jaqen didn't know anyone who had a bike like that. But the woman was walking up to his door ready to knock. It was to dark to see her face, but whoever it was had dark hair that was messed up from the helmet and she kept looking around at the shadows as if she was afraid that someone was going to reach out from them and grab her.

Jaqen watched as she knocked at the door. He walked over to the door and looked throw the peephole. He still was not able to see the woman's face so he turned on the light and his breath caught. The one he had been watching for so long was at his house. She had come to him and by her own free will. He knew that this moment would come. He was pleased that it had happened now, the night before he was going to go back east for art school.

He opened the door and smiled at her.

"Jaqen I need your help. Can I come in?"

"Anything for you. Come on inside."

She walked past him and into his house. He stood by the door looking outside for a moment wishing that Gendry had been around to see her walk away from him and into Jaqen’s house. He closed the door with a smile on his face and followed Arya into his living room.

"What is it that I can do for you?" He asked picking up his wine and taking a sip of it.

"Well I just need to stay for a few hours. And would there be any way that I could borrow your car? I am sure that my dad had an alert out on Aegon’s bike." She mumbled to herself. She was standing in front of the window looking outside watching the street.

"Arya are you on the run?" Jaqen tried to sound shocked, but he was pleased that she had run to him.

"Yes. My father wants to move us back home. I am not ready to leave yet. I don't think I would have reacted this way if Gendry had not taken my father's side in the matter."

"Gendry wants you to move back North?" Jaqen was pleased that lover boy had made such a horrible mistake.

"Well not exactly." She confessed. "He just told me not to discuss it so publicly. I know that he doesn't want us to move. At least not until the end of the school year."

"I see." Jaqen’s optimism deflated slightly. "Besides a car what do you need?"

"I could go for a shower and I would love to be able to throw this bag of clothes into a washer. They are from Hot Pies groupies and I don't know where they have been." She smiled at him.

"Sure. You can use my shower. And I can have these washed and dry them for you." He took the bag and showed her to the bathroom. "If you want I can toss what you are wearing in as well."

"Sure. I will leave them outside the door." Arya walked into the bathroom and a moment later, the clothes that she had been in were on the floor outside the room. He picked them up and added them to the bad. He threw them in the washer. He was looking in his dryer when he remembered that there were no clean towels in the shower. He took two from the dryer and walked back to the bathroom.

He thought about knocking but decided against it. This would not be the first time he had seen Arya naked, just the first time up close. He opened the door and Arya jumped in shock.

"Jaqen what the fuck! I'm naked here!" She screamed when she saw him standing there.

"Towels." He said, waving them around to show he had a reason to enter. He placed them on the sink and walked out. He took one last look before he left the room. There was something wrong. She was not smiling or happy, like all the other times that he had seen her without clothing. She was sad. Then the realization hit. All those other times Gendry had been with her. He was the one who made her shine and made her happy. She might be in the house with him, but she would never truly be his until Gendry was out of the way.

He decided at the moment that something had to change. And that change had to be Gendry. He had to find a way to get Gendry out of Arya’s life once and for all. Only then could they truly be together

 


	32. What Is Lost Is Found

Gendry

Gendry was sick with worry. He had never felt so powerless in his life. His mother used to leave him alone as a kid when she worked late, but this was a different kind of fear. They still did not know where Arya was and he was freaking out. He sat behind the wheel of his car in the arrival zone at the airport. He felt like he throttled the wheel and if it had been a neck it would Hobe been dead by now.

It was late and Jon's plane was supposed to have arrived by now. He had been sitting in the car at the pickup point for the last half an hour waiting. He was fuming from the lost time. He should have been out looking for Arya. After going to Hot Pies house and talking to him Gendry was even more worried now. Hot Pie had helped her and she had left her phone there so there was no way to track her. She could be anywhere and she was on a bike in tight leather. Under normal circumstances that thought would have turned him on, all it did now was make his blood run cold.

Gendry’s phone started to ring. He looked at the front, his hopes rising that it might be Arya. It was his mother. He ignored the call. She was just going to tell him to come home and to get some rest, to start looking in the morning. His hands tightened on the wheel. He was so angry, but under that, anger there was fear. L.A. was a dangerous city. Arya was not used to it, she didn't know where not to go, whom not to talk to. If they didn't find her soon something bad was going to happen to her.

There was a tap on the car window and Jon stood beside the passenger side door waiting for him to unlock it. Gendry hit the unlock button and Jon slid into the seat.

"Any news?" Jon demanded as he buckled his seat belt and Gendry pulled away from the curb.

"Nothing. She has not made contact with anyone since she called you. What did she say exactly?"

"That she would rather live on her own here then go back home to become nothing again. That you and dad ganged up on her and that she had to clear her head. That I shouldn't worry, she was all right. She was safe and would text me when she was at her next location." Jon rubbed his eyes. He looked like he had aged five years since Christmas.

Gendry wanted to scream. He had not ganged up on her. He had just tried to calm her down while they were out in public. He sure as hell did not want her to move back north. Arya had become his whole world. When the Starks moved, back North at the end of the year he had planned to go with them to go to college up there so he could still be close to her. The guys were not happy with this news, but he didn't care. He just wanted to be with her. Now he was wondering if he should. If she was going to over react then maybe, he needed to reevaluate their relationship.

Gendry was so lost in thought that he didn't realize that his phone was ringing until Jon poked him in the stomach. Gendry fumbled for the phone and didn't recognize the number. His hope flared. It might be Arya!

"Hello?"

"Mr. Waters, or is it Baratheon now?" The cool voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Who is this?" Gendry demanded.

"We met at the art gallery on Valentine's Day? Varys." He said.

"What do you want?" He did not want to be talking to this strange man, not right now.

"I have some information that I think you might find useful." Varys said in a silky voice.

"What kind of information?" Gendry demanded.

"I know where Miss Arya Stark was fifteen minutes ago." Varys said simply.

Gendry’s heart squeezed in his chest. Varys knew where Arya was. He elbowed Jon and put it on speakerphone.

"Where?" He barked into the phone.

"I was at the house of one of my artists' collecting some of his new work when I saw Miss Stark packing a bag. I don't know if she is still there. She might have left when I was collecting the paintings or she still might be there." Vary said sweetly.

"Where is she?" Gendry yelled into the phone.

"Jaqen’s house. I think you know where that is?" Varys asked.

"Yes." Gendry pulled an illegal U-turn and drove in the opposite direction they had been heading. "Thank you Mr. Varys."

"You are welcome. I hope that you find her. When I heard that she was missing I knew that I could help locate her for you." He purred.

"Why help us like this?" Gendry asked

"Because I like you, dear boy. You are a much better pick for Miss Stark then Jaqen. I just hope that Jaqen realizes this soon and stops his obsession over the poor girl." Varys hung up the phone and Jon looked at Gendry open mouthed.

Jon picked up his phone and called his father.

"Dad, we know where she was fifteen minutes ago. We are on our way there now. No stay there. I will get her. I think if she sees you, she will run. Okay we will." Jon hung up and looked at Gendry. "So what is the plan?"

"We go to Jaqen’s and get her." Gendry growled. He floored the car and drove as if hell was chasing him.

"I don't trust that guy. He is going to do something to hurt her. He is obsessed, like that guy on the phone said." Jon said.

"I know. The problem is that she doesn't seem to notice. When Jaqen is mentioned and how creepy he is she brushes it off. Myrcella told her how weird he is and she laughed at her. I hope that she realizes that he is a threat to her." Gendry confessed.

They drove the rest of the way in silence. They arrived at Jaqen’s house and Gendry saw Aegon’s bike in the driveway. She was here. He got out of the car and swiftly strode to the door. Jon was right behind him as he pounded on the door.

"Hey open the door!" Gendry yelled. No one answered so he continued to pound on the door and yell for someone to open it. Finally, the porch light came on and he heard the door unlock. Gendry stopped his knocking and stepped back. Jaqen opened the door in a silk robe scrubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Waters what do you want?" Jaqen asked with a lazy sneer.

"Where is she you freak? Where is Arya?" Gendry demanded grabbing the edges of Jaqen’s robe and shaking him slightly. Jaqen swept his arms up and knocked Gendry’s hands off him. They stood glaring at one another, hatred clear in each other's eyes for the man before them.

"Whoa there guys. Dial it back a notch." Jon said stepping between the two. "Jaqen we know Arya was here. The bike that she borrowed is in your driveway and all we want to do is talk to her. Is she here?"

Jaqen gave Gendry one last dirty look before giving Jon his attention.

"Arya was here. She left while Varys was collecting some paintings. She took my jeep and I don't know where she went." Jaqen was passed, but he liked taunting Gendry.

"If you are lying to me you son of a bitch I will kill you. Arya if you are in there come out!" Gendry tried to push his way past Jaqen and into the house to search for her, himself but Jaqen pushed him out of the way. Something snapped inside Gendry when Jaqen’s hands made contact with his chest. He drew his fist back and hit Jaqen in the face. He heard a satisfying crunch and felt pain in his fist from a solid connection. He smiled in satisfaction. But the feeling was short lived.

Jaqen lashed out and struck Gendry in the gut. He doubled over and Jaqen drove his knee towards his face. Gendry moved fast enough to block the blow. In his doubled over state Gendry rammed his shoulder into Jaqen’s midsection toppling them over into the house. They rolled around on the floor, each throwing punches and landing them on his opponent. Jon stood in the doorway yelling for them to stop. Gendry did not hear his friends command to stop. He was to enraged.

"Arya was magnificent Gendry. She had to take a shower from the sweat that she worked up." Jaqen taunted when they broke apart. Gendry rolled away and found himself in a fighting crouch. Jaqen mirrored his stance and they lunged for each other again.

"You fucking son of a bitch. If you laid a hand on her I will kill you." Gendry snarled as he grappled for a hold around Jaqen’s throat. Jaqen was so fast and evaded to circle Gendry like a shark.

"Her lips are the softest that I have ever had the pleasure of kissing." He purred.

Gendry saw red and charged. Jaqen had momentarily taken his eyes off Gendry to look at Jon who had started to move closer to the fight. Gendry landed a solid hit on Jaqen’s face and he fell to the floor. Gendry was on top of him landing punch after punch on Jaqen.

"I will kill you!" Gendry hollered over and over again.

Jon grabbed Gendry from around the waist and hauled him off the fallen man. Gendry stood there panting, his knuckles bloody. There was a cut over his eye and his lip was split. One of his eyes was beginning to swell shut. But he didn't care. He was the one standing. Jaqen was still on the ground. Jon was beside him checking for a pulse. Jon looked relieved and stood up from his checking.

"He is alive. But he's knocked out cold. We have to leave Gendry. We got the information that she was here. We know that she is in his jeep. We have to leave now. Can you hear me Gendry? We have to leave." Jon dragged his unresponsive friend out of the house to the car. He shoved Gendry in the passenger seat and turned the keys that were still in the ignition. The car roared to life and Jon tore away from the house and the unconscious body behind.

"I sure got that fucker." Gendry crooked.

"You sure as hell did. I think you need a drink. Hell I need one too." Jon turned and smiled for the first time since he was told that Arya had run away. Then they were laughing.

Bran

Bran had sat in the stunned silence that had descended the table after Arya had stormed out. No one knew how to react for a moment. Then all hell had broken loose. Gendry had run after his sister calling her name to stop. His mother had broken down and started crying. Sansa was pale and frightened. Myrcella started yelling at Aegon for giving Arya the keys to his bike. The only people who had remained calm were Renly, Tyrion and Helen.

Bran looked over at Tyrion and asked him one simple question.

"Can you take me to my friends?"

He told his father and mother that he was going to the Reeds to get them to help find Arya. Ned had nodded his head and they had left. The two of them walked slowly to Tyrion's car. Bran was slow from the headache that nearly blinded him and Tyrion from having his short legs. They slid into the car and Bran noted the way that the driver’s side was set up so his legs could use the peddles.

"So where are you going?" Tyrion asked as they started to drive.

"Take me to the 50's dinner." Bran said.

"I can do that. Now to get back to what we were talking before your sisters colorful interruption. What can we do to that slim Baelish? I think that we can sue him for everything that he has. And he has a lot to lose." Tyrion chuckled.

"I want him to be destroyed for this. I know that you can help out of everyone that I know."

"I know what it is like to be taken advantage of. My family has been doing that for many years. Let me do some digging. I am sure that you are not the first person he has done this to."

They rode in silence the rest of the way to the diner. Bran thanked Tyrion before he walked into meet the Reeds. Jojen and Meera were in their usual booth and neither were surprised when Bran slid into the booth next to Meera. He tried not to let his cheeks flush when his leg pressed against Meera’s. He failed and his cheeks flushed scarlet.

"So Arya ran away." Bran announced.

"I know. I saw it about an hour ago that she would do this." Jojen said as he dipped an onion ring in ranch and it crunched as he took a bite.

"We came here because we figured that you would want to meet us." Meera said.

"So what have you seen?" Bran demanded.

"Well she is pissed. That much I know. She will go to three places tonight. The first place is to a chubby guy's house, then to a guy that I cannot totally see. His face is obscured from me. And the third place is an empty house. Well not empty, there is furniture in the house, but it doesn't look like it has been lived in for a while. I do not know where this house is. But she is going to stay there for a while. That's all that I know." Jojen took another ring and crunched it.

"She is going to be okay Bran." Meera put her hand on his hand and interlocked her fingers in his.

Bran sat there thinking of where this empty house could be. They really did not know many places in L.A. that she could run to. He knew that the chubby guy was her friend Hot Pie. The faceless man was someone that he couldn't figure out. The empty house was a total mystery to him. He wanted to call Gendry and ask him if he knew a place. Instead he texted his younger brother Rickon.

_Hey, have you heard Arya talk about an empty house?_

_Not really. Tommen has said that Gendry’s old house is empty. She could be there. Let me send him a quick text and ask._

Bran nodded his head and then realized that Rickon could not see it and sent a OK to his brother.

"Rickon said that the empty house could be Gendry’s house. I should text him and let him know that she could be there." Bran reached for his phone to tell Gendry where to find Arya. But then he put his phone down and looked over at Jojen.

His friend was shaking his head.

"Don't tell him yet. Arya needs time to unwind down and realize that she has overacted. If you send in Gendry, right now she won't want to hear what he has to say and she will run again. And if she does that who knows what will happen to her then." Jojen looked at his plate contemplating. He still had a mound of rings nut didn’t pick the first one he saw. He took the fifth one from the top.

"Trust him Bran." Meera’s voice soothed him as she rubbed small circles on their laced fingers.

"So Bran when are they going to fix your head?" Jojen asked.

"They are going in next week." Bran sighed.

"I am glad that you finally know what is going on with you." Meera smiled at him. His stomach gave a flip.

"I have to go pee. I will be back." Jojen looked Bran right in the eye and then left the table.

Bran sat next to Meera still holding her hand. He knew that he should say something amazing and suave but nothing came to mind.

"So I think that we should go in a date." He blurted out.

Meera gave a throaty chuckle and smiled at him.

"I think that would be a good idea." Meera leaned into him and pressed a fast kiss on his cheek.

Bran turned his head and her face was still next to his. He leaned into her and their lips met. The kiss was soft and sweet. His free hand moved up to her hair and she pulled her body close to him. Bran’s mind was going haywire. He was kissing the girl of his dreams and it was everything that he had expected it would be and more. Then all too soon Jojen came back, bumping the table and startling the two apart.

"It is about damn time that you two kissed. I have been seeing this moment for the last month. I am glad that it has come true and I can move on." Jojen picked up his shake and slurped it down. He put his head in his hands with a brain freeze.

Meera laughed and tried to kick her brother from under the table. She missed and they all laughed.

“Don’t be a know it all. And don’t drink ice cream so fast.” She smiled again.

“I can’t help what I see.” Jojen rubbed his shin but smiled at them.” He looked at Bran. “Be good to my sister. I have seen a lot of happiness for you two, so you better stay the track.”

“I am sure he will do just fine Jojen.” She slid next to Bran closer and he placed his hand on her knee. He wanted to kiss her again. He leaned close to her send she met him half way. The kiss was longer this time, but the kept it PG.

“I have one request.” Jojen said. They broke apart and looked at him. “Keep the making out in front of me to a minimum.”

Bran took the onion ring and threw it at Jojen’s head. They all laughed.

Arya

After Jaqen had walked in on her in the shower she had felt creped out. She had waited for her clothes to wash and dry, and as soon as they were done, she was out of there. The one thing that she was happy about was that Varys had showed up. She made sure that he saw her. She knew that he would tell someone that was out there looking for her. She had taken Jaqen’s jeep and had driven around thinking of where she would be going for the night.

She had no desire to use her money on a room yet. She had thought about sleeping in the jeep but she had heard too many stories about bad things happening to girls who slept on the side of the road. Then she remembered that Gendry’s house was empty. They had gone there earlier in the week to be alone. That had been a good day. She smiled as she drove to his house and found the spare key under the eaves on the side of the back door and let herself in. She walked into his room and flopped on his bed.

Arya pulled his pillows and blankets around her and breathed in his sent. She was starting to feel foolish for over reacting the way that she had. But she was not going to go home, not just yet. She wanted her parents to sweat it out for a little while. She knew that she was safe at Gendry’s house. She was dozing off. It was very late and she was so very tired. Her eyes were closing and she was drifting off to sleep when she heard a crash and the pounding of heavy foot falls running down the hall.

She sat bolt upright in bed and Gendry was standing in the doorway. There was blood covering his face and his eye was swollen shut. She was frightened that he was a dream and not real. Then he spoke and she knew that he was real.

"Are you real?" Gendry demanded.

Then Jon was standing behind him looking over his shoulder, his mouth opened in shock. She had parked the jeep three houses down the street in case someone drove past the house to see if she was there. She had never imagined that they would find her so soon.

"Of course I am real stupid. What the hell happened to your face?" She demanded as she hopped out of bed.

"He got in a fight. It's nothing major. What the hell were you thinking running away like that?" Jon yelled at the end. He looked so much like their father that she was taken aback.

"I wasn't thinking." Arya mumbled. She was standing in front of Gendry and gently touched his face. He winced, but did not pull away from her. He smiled at her and then the unmistakable smell of whiskey wafted over her. "Are you drunk?"

"Well yes I am drunk. I had my face pulverized. I needed something for the pain." He slurred slightly.

"Jon what happened?" Arya demanded.

"I will be asking the questions Little Wolf. What happened to you?" Jon shot back. "And what were you thinking about going to that creeps house?"

Arya didn't understand the question. What creep were they talking about? Hot Pie was not a creep. And Jaqen might have been weird but he was not a creep either, or had not been one until that night.

"I don't know what you mean." She said, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"Arya if he put one hand on you I'm going to go back there right now and finish what I started." Gendry slurred.

"Who are you talking about?" Arya threw up her hands in anger.

"Jaqen. He is a freak. He is a creep as well. I don't want you to go near him anymore." Gendry shouted. His father’s anger surfaced. Arya had never seen him like that, and she wasn’t going to stand for it.

"You have no right to dictate my life Gendry. And you beat him up. How could you do that?" She poked him in the chest.

"In Gendry’s defense Jaqen started it." Jon smiled and patted his friends back. They smiled at each other.

"You were there Jon? What are you doing here anyway?" Arya asked.

"I came looking for you. Everyone is worried sick. I am sure all the cops in this city are out looking for you. Dad figured that I would be the only person that could find you. And he was right. I have to call dad. Will you clean Gendry up? He also needs to sit." Jon turned and walked out to make his call.

Arya stood looking at Gendry leaning against the doorjamb. He was swaying on his feet and his eyes were closed. Arya rolled her eyes and slung his arm around her shoulder. They walked into the bathroom down the hall and she dumped him on the toilet so she could be level with his busted up face.

"Gendry what were you thinking." She asked under her breath. She had thought that he had not heard so she jumped when he answered.

"I had thought that you had slept with him. That's what he said." Gendry’s voice was soft and insecure. "If you did I won't be angry. I mean I will be but I can get over it. I just want to know the truth."

Arya stopped looking in the medicine cabinet for something to clean him up. She put the peroxide down and starred at him. Jaqen had been acting strange while she was at his house, but she never imagined that he would make up a lie so vile just to enrage Gendry. She picked up the cloth and ran the water to wet it. She rung the rag, turned over to Gendry, and started to dab at his face.

"I didn't sleep with him. I washed some clothes and took a fast shower. That is all. Once everything that I had with me was clean, I left. I took his Jeep and left. He is leaving for art school today so he will not be bothering us anymore. How could you think I could do that to you?" She demanded harshly.

He winced as she dabbed the cloth on his face. Blood came off it in rivulets of pink.

"I don't know how I let him convince me that you would have slept with him. But I was just so scared for you and I wasn't thinking. With how you reacted to the news that you all could move back North I didn't know what you would do. Why did you run away?" He looked up at her with his big blue eyes and she felt her stupidity swell upon her.

"I was scared. I didn't want to leave. The only thing that was flashing in my mind was that if I wasn't with my family they couldn't make me leave you." She gently cleaned his face and rinsed the rag. She gave it back to him to put on his swollen lip.

Gendry looked at her face while she was cleaning his off. His swollen eye was making it hard for her to look at him without wanting to cry, but she forced herself to finish her task without breaking down. She dropped to her knees and slid her arms around his waist. He winced and she pulled away. She took the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head. He winced again with pain and she saw the cause. His chest was a mass of bruises. Looking at his beautiful body all battered finally did it to her. She started to cry. The tears streaked down her face and she couldn't stop them.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry that I scared you. I am sorry that this happened to you. If I would have not acted like a child none of this would have happened." She sobbed and placed her face on his knee so he would not see her cry.

His hand stroked her hair and he whispered soothing words of comfort. They sat there for a long time. Once her sobs had subsided, he lifted her face to look him in the eye. He took some toilet tissue, wiped her face, and demanded that she blow her nose as if she was a child. She smiled and took the tissue and did as she had been commanded. They were chuckling and she gave him a soft kiss on his busted lip.

"Father said that we can stay here for the night. I told him that you were with safe and us. He will be here at eight in the morning and you will be yelled at. There is nothing that you can do to stop that. But it is late. Dad will be here in four hours. Time for sleep." Jon said.

Arya nodded her head. She had expected nothing more then to be yelled at by her father. But their argument was not over. She was not going to go back to Winterfell without a fight. She hoped that her father was ready for the storm that she was about to bring his way.

Arya and Jon hefted Gendry up and took him to his bed. Arya told Jon that she was going to sleep in with him. He started to argue but she shut him up by telling her brother that they had been having sex for a while now. Jon's face turned white then purple then he glared at Gendry.

"If you were not already mashed up I would beat the shit out of you." Jon pointed his finger at Gendry’s passed out form on the bed.

Arya rolled her eyes and ushered him out of the room. She stripped her borrowed clothes off, took one of Gendry’s tee shirts out of his dresser and slipped it on. Arya took off Gendry’s shoos and jeans, pulled the blankets over him and snuggled next to him. She closed her eyes and before she fell to sleep. She felt the stupidity of her actions finally seeped in.

Arya hated feeling wrong, but this was something she would be wrong about for a long time to come. She snuggled her ass I to Gendry’s crotch. He slid his arm around her body and his ha d fell to her breast. His head slid to her hair and she felt like she was home. Pressed against his warm body was the safest place she had ever felt. After some sleep in Gendry’s arms, she would be more than ready to take on her father.

 


	33. The Shoe Drops

Eddard

When Jon had called at four thirty in the morning to say that they had found Arya and she was safe he was weak with relief. He told Catelyn that they had found her and she had wept with joy. He had called Robert and warned him that when Gendry came home in the morning he would be pretty beat up. Jon had mentioned that Gendry had been in a fight while they had been searching for Arya and that Ned should tell his parents so they could have some warning. Ned finally got to bed at five in the morning. He wanted to have some sleep before seeing his daughter and the argument that he knew Arya would cause when he confronted her at eight.

When his alarm woke him at seven thirty, he was not ready to see his youngest daughter. He had always had a soft spot when it came to Arya. She reminded him so much of his sister, he had never known what to do with Lyanna, and it seems that the blind spot had carried over to his headstrong daughter as well. He dressed in jeans and a dove gray sweater, moving as silently as he could so not to wake his wife who had been awake with worry for most of the night. He got in the car and drove to the house that Arya had taken refuge in.

Ned sat in the driveway thinking about what he was going to say. He had no real idea. He took a deep breath and left the silence of his car. He walked to the door and Jon opened it before he could knock.

"She's in the kitchen. I have scolded her pretty good and she seems defeated, but it is never easy to truly tell with her. The Little Wolf is tough." Jon said as he hugged his father.

Ned just nodded and headed into the kitchen. Arya sat at the small table cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. Gendry sat beside her. Ned had to do a double take on the boy, the kids face was a mess of bruises and he looked like hell.

"I hope the other guy looks worse then you do son." Ned said as he slid into the chair across from Arya.

Gendry smiled, and then winced. The cut on his lip started to bleed. "Yes sir. He looked very bad when we left him." Gendry said.

"Good." Ned nodded then turned his attention to Arya. He was going to make her talk first. They sat there looking at each other for five minutes before she cracked.

"Look dad I am sorry that I worried you and mom so much. But it was a real asshole thing that you did just announcing moving back like that."

"That was stupid of me. I should have done it at home. Nevertheless, Arya you were the greater fool in the situation then I was. Running away like that was something that I never would have thought you would do." He kept his voice even. He wanted nothing more then to yell at her, but that would only make her want to run again.

"I'm sorry." She looked down at her coffee cup and he saw tears well up in her eyes. The only time that he had seen Arya cry since she was five was when he told her he was disappointed with her.

"Little Wolf I am not angry at you. I mean I am, but I am more disappointed that you acted so rashly. You did not act the way that you have been taught. I expected more from you. You are a Stark, and Starks do not run from problems. We face them." He hated making her feel so bad, but he knew it was what she needed. “You scared the snit out of me. I kept thinking of the worst things imaginable happening to you. After what happened to Sansa I would have thought you would have had more sense.”

Arya’s eyes brimmed with tears and they spilled down her cheeks. Ned knew just as he had to not be too tough he could not be to forgiving. His daughter needed to understand how serious her actions were. She let the tears fall, but she started talking. Her voice only quivered slightly. Ned smiled slightly at how collected she seemed to be.

"I just don't want to go back to Winterfell and become nothing again.” Her voice was starting to lose its composer, threatening to become sobs. “I know that will happen when we move home. I am not nothing here. I am someone. I want to be someone for a little longer. Please don't' move us away." Her face broke and the sobs that she had been fighting broke from her lips and she cried with her entire body.

Ned had planned to be strong, on being stone. He had planned on grounding her and telling her that he was the adult and that if he wanted to move the family back that is what they would do because he was the father and that was his decision. But watching his strong daughter cry so openly the words all stuck in his throat. How could he tell her all this and break her heart? How could he force her to become nothing again? He took a deep breath and reached out his hand to place on her head that was resting on the table. He stroked her head and her sobbing subsided to almost nothing

"Look Arya, we will talk about moving back as a family. I know you are not the only one who does not want to go back yet. When we get home, I am sure that Bran, Sansa, and Rickon will all have input on us moving back. They, unlike you reacted, with maturity that I had thought you had." He saw her wince and continued. "This was not something that was set in stone. I just wanted to let you all know that it was a possibility that could happen now that Robert does not need me anymore to steer his ship. Now come along. We have to get you home so you can be yelled at and smothered by mother." He stood from the table and she looked up at him with her red eyes wide.

"Do I have to? Mom is likely to kill me for what I did." She asked.

"Yes you have to. Now get up and walk out to the car young lady." Ned used a stern voice and pointed to the door. He turned to Gendry. "Thank you for finding her. I owe you." They shook hands. "You should get home too. I told your father that you had been in a fight and your mother was none to please to hear that news."

"You told them? I'm going to be in trouble now." Gendry put his head on the table.

"Don't worry. I will go with you and explain everything." Jon said, placing a hand on his friends shoulder. "I will be to the house as soon as I get Gendry here out of hot water with his parents."

"Alright son. See you at the house." Ned clasped hands with Jon. Then he walked out of the house to his car where his daughter waited. "Let's go get this over with." He said to her. She smiled at him and they drove home together.

Sansa

Sansa sat before the mirror of the vanity in her room and looked at her reflection. She was trying to see if there was anything different about her on the outside. She felt completely changed on the inside and she could not be happier. She was in love with Sandor more than ever before. After the first time they came together, they had snuggled together stargazing. Then she had started kissing him on the neck and he had been ready for a second time. She giggled at the thought of how often she had gotten him aroused in the short span of four hours.

She was proud that by the end of the evening she could touch Sandor without feeling revulsion and disgust. She knew that she had made a breakthrough in her recovery and was happy that she had Sandor to help her.

She was really looking at her reflection and the only thing that she could tell that was different was that she could not stop smiling. No matter what she tried to do she could not keep a smile off her face. She was supposed to be sad and frightened because Arya was missing, but she could not stop that damn smile from appearing on her face. There was a knock at her door and she yelled for whoever it was to enter the room.

Catelyn stood in the doorway and looked around at her daughter's room. There were tears in her eyes and Sansa stood, the smile whipped from her face. It had to be something to do with Arya to have her mother crying like she was.

"Oh gods mom what is it? Is Arya okay? What is going on mom?" Sansa rushed over to her mother.

Catelyn threw her arms around Sansa’s shoulders and started to laugh.

"Your father has her. They are on their way home now. Oh I am so happy I could sing." Catelyn threw her head back and laughed again.

"Mother I love you but please do not sing. For the love that you have for me, do not sing." Sansa declared, backing away from her mother.

Bran came out of his room and Rickon stumbled out of the steam-filled bathroom. The boy always liked to try to use all the hot water in the house. They watched their mother act like a fool then skip down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Do you think she would act like that if it had been you or me that had run away?" Bran asked.

"Probably not. Neither of us would run away and plan to not being find. She is acting like this because with Arya, you never know what can happen and she is just happy that Arya is all right. With us there is nothing to worry about because they would find us pretty fast." Sansa replied.

"We would never do anything like that. You are the passive aggressive one, I am the over logical one, Robb is the eldest so he gets to try everything once and mom and dad let him after they give him hell, Rickon is the baby so he can do anything and Arya is the impulsive one who has to much of the wild north blood in her. And Jon is like father. We all have our places and rolls that we play in the family. I am surprised that it took Arya this long before she did something like this." Bran said in his logical way.

"Yeah you are right. I am passive aggressive. Remember what I did to mom when she said that I could not get those shoes? The silent treatment for three hours and she caved. We all know how to work our parents. Just like you do. I remember when you were seven and wanted that giant tome of world history books that were 1000 dollars and they said no you told mother and father that it was the way that you could be able to become a doctor of history. That was masterful. Dad went out and got them for you." Sansa laughed and Bran blushed slightly.

"I loved those books. I still read them." Bran smiled wistfully.

The two Stark children walked to the kitchen for a bite to eat and to wait for Arya and Ned to return. Catelyn had the laptop opened and Robb and Theon were on Skype with her. They were going to be in on the family talk that Catelyn said that they were going to have once their father returned.

Sansa smiled at Mrs. Clark as she handed her a cup of tea. Sansa was finished with it and was putting her cup in the sink when Ned and Arya walked in. Arya’s head hung in clear submission and shame. Catelyn flew at her youngest daughter. In between hugs, shakes, sobs and happy laughter Sansa was able to see her sisters face clearly. It was a mix of shock and pure happiness.

"Do not ever do that to me again young lady. I swear if you do that I will send you to that all girl boarding school near my sister Lysa's house. The Vale would do you good. I do not want you to ever scare me like that ever again." Catelyn nearly shouted. "Do you have any idea what you put me through? I was up all night waiting to hear if you were dead in a ditch somewhere. I was so worried about you. If it had not been for Jon I would have been out there looking for you myself."

"Mom you are crushing me. I cannot breath. If you don't loosen up I am going to die!" Arya squeaked.

"I will admit that I want to kill you. You scared me to death." Catelyn loosened her grip on her daughter and looked her in the face. Whatever she saw there was enough for her to leave her daughter alone, walk over to her husband, and embrace him. He kissed the top of her head and they walked to the table and had a fast hushed talk with Robb on the computer call.

Arya sat down beside Sansa. There were dark smudges under her eyes and she looked like she had been awake all night. Then Arya lifted her head and looked at Sansa.

"There is something different about you. What did you do last night?" Arya asked.

"I looked for you with Sandor. Then when we decided that we couldn't find you we went stargazing." Sansa blushed.

"Is that what you call it? Gendry and I work on cars, if you catch my drift." Arya smiled. "I can't believe that it has taken you to so long to gaze at the stars."

"We did a lot of gazing. And if you would have not ran away last night we could have spent the night giggling about it watching a movie and eating junk food. Instead you flew off the handle and ran away." Arya opened her mouth to speak but Sansa held up her hand to silence her sister. "I understand why you did it. You felt attacked. Fight or flight. I get it. But you know that we will wait out the school year before we go back North. You were just stupid and impulsive. Do you understand what could have happened to you out there?"

"Yes. I already had this lecture from father and Jon. I know that I will get one from mother more in depth as soon as her bliss of me being found wears off. I do not need it from you." Arya grumbled.

"You will get it from all of us. And you will take it; there is nothing that you can do about it. It is the payment for what you did." Bran said slipping up beside his sisters. Sansa smiled at Bran and at Arya’s scowl.

Jon walked in and Arya’s head sprung up.

"Is Gendry okay? Is he in trouble?" Arya asked.

"What happened to Gendry?" Sansa asked in concern.

"He is fine. He is with his mom who is fussing over him like he is a baby again." Jon chuckled.

"What happened to Gendry?" Catelyn asked.

"He got in a fight defending Arya’s honor." Ned said and the matter was dropped.

The family discussion began. Arya ranted and railed against the idea of a move, Rickon pouted and Bran said that they should not be moved with only three months left in the school year. Sansa sat there and let her siblings make their cases. Then she cleared her throat and all eyes turned to her.

"I would love to go home. But this is my senior year and you have already disrupted it once. I for one would like to finish out the year here. I have a good chance of being my class's valedictorian. I know that I would have that in Winterfell, but it is an accomplishment for me to achieve it here in a school that I started late in the year. Then there is the matter of prom. I do not care about being prom queen any more, but I would like to attend with someone I care for and someone who cares about me. After everything that happened to me here, I should want to leave, but I find myself looking at the good things that this place has to offer. Please do not move us away just yet." Her voice was soft and she let the tears well in her eyes. She knew that talking about her attack was a low blow, but she felt that it was time to bring out the big guns.

"I know that the North has doctors that can work on Bran, but here there are world class doctors. If Derek Shepard was real I would say yes we should go back home and Bran could be treated in Seattle but he is just a character on TV. We need to stay here to cure Bran and to see that the doctor who deceived us and hurt Bran is punished and stopped from doing anything like this ever again." Sansa smiled slightly noticing her mother's frown increasing.

Ned and Cat talked in low voices. She saw Robb and Theon give her thumbs up. She knew that she would be the one who would get them to stay. Brans logic would not work, because their father was logical as well, Rickons youngest act would not work because the Starks had lived with pouting before with their many children and Arya was in enough hot water with her parents that they would ignore her. But Sansa was the good child that never asked for anything. They would cave and do what she asked she knew.

"Sansa is right. It is not fair to you children to force you to move during the school year again. We will be staying until school ends. But then we will be moving back to Winterfell and there will be no more discussion on the matter." Ned looked at each of his children and the look he gave them was a dare to argue.

"Thank you daddy." Sansa stood and flung her arms around him. She smiled and kissed his cheek then turned and did the same to their mother. The children were dismissed and they filed out of the kitchen. Jon caught up with Sansa as they walked up the stairs.

"That was masterful sis. I always knew that you were the one who could play mother and father like they were a fiddle." Jon ruffled her hair.

"I do not have the slightest idea what you are talking about." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Right. Go to your room and call that hulk of a boyfriend. Tell him the good news." Jon went on ahead to his room.

Sansa skipped and entered her room. She removed the sweater and looked at the love bites and marks that Sandor had given to her and smiled. She picked up her phone to call him. The phone rang and rang then went to voicemail.

"Sandor its Sansa. We are staying until the end of the year. I just wanted you to know." She hung up the phone.

It was odd that Sandor was not answering the phone. That was the last thought that she had on the matter. She put on a tee shirt, went out of her room, and went into Arya’s room to talk about boys and to get some advice on what she and Sandor should do next.

Sandor

After dropping off Sansa after they had stargazer Sandor had gone home and he was more pleased then he had been since his mother had been alive. Being with Sansa in that way was as close to the gods that he had ever felt. She was his everything. When they moved back North at the end of school he was going with Sansa. He wanted to ask her to marry him, but he knew that she wanted to go to college and he would not stand in her way. But he wanted to be near to her. He would get a job in the town that she was going to school. They could live together and they would be so happy.

He was a good student. He knew he would be getting acceptance letters from the schools he applied to, but if they weren’t the one Sansa was going to he would forget school and just work. All his life he had only wanted to get away from his family. Now his plans centered on making his own family. Sansa was the one he wanted to make his own family with, and they would do it the right way. With love surrounding them.

Then he got a call that changed everything. He stood stunned looking at the caller id. Joffery Lannister’s name was flashing on his phone. He answered his phone and growled into it.

"What the hell do you want?" Sandor's voice was deadly.

"I want to hurt that little bitch that you call a girlfriend." Joffery sneered.

"That will never happen. Leave me the fuck alone. And if you fuck with Sansa I will kill you."

"You will do no such thing. You will do what I say or your father will lose everything. And if that happens he will be home all the time, and so will your brother. I know how much you want that to happen." Joffery laughed at his joke.

Sandor sat down heavy on his bed. He knew that Joffery could make good on his threat. His father and brother were both in the employment of the Lannister’s. If they lost their jobs, they would be home all the time. One of them would end up dead. Whether it be him, his father or brother, but one of them would be dead by the end of the first week.

"What do you want?" Sandor felt like poison was eating its way over his body.

"That is more like it. You will do the unthinkable. You will break up with that slut. Then to rub salt in the wound you will start dating Margaery Tyrell, her close friend. She had already agreed to this. She thinks what Sansa did to me was a betrayal. And she feels resentment for all the attention that Sansa has gotten from everyone since she came here. As well as the attention and sympathy from her family. She hates her as much as I do. But you will never hear her admit that." Joffrey laughed.

Stunned by the revelation Sandor was sick with shock. Margaery hating Sansa was something that he could not comprehend. She had been with Sansa during the trial. She had sat with them when they had heard the sentence. Why would she want to hurt Sansa that way? Would she truly hate Sansa out of jealously? Sandor knew that the answer was no. There was more to this then what Joffrey had said.

Sandor was trapped in his own hell. Either he had to break Sansa’s heart and his own, or his father and brother will probably kill each other and him. If he was dead he could do nothing for Sansa, if he was in jail for murder he could do nothing. He weighed the options before him. He knew the only one thing he could do.

"I will do what you say, but I will pay you back for this. You will pay for what you have done and you will be sorry for this." Sandor's voice was deadly and menacing.

"You can do nothing to me Dog. You will be sorry that you have these thoughts." Joffery let out a nasally laugh. "Face it you have nothing." Then the line went dead.

Sandor sat on his bed and a sinking feeling settled in his gut. He was sick to his stomach. He knew that he had to end things with Sansa now. But he was sick with himself. What he was about to do would kill her and she would think that all that he wanted from her the whole time that they had been together would have been so that he could get into her pants and for her to give up her virginity to him.

For the first time since he was a child, he cried. Cried for the loss of the feature that he would have had with Sansa. For the loss of the love that they shared and would have shared together. He cried for his pain and hers.

Jaqen

He woke on the floor of his entryway. His body felt battered and bruised. He knew that he had missed his flight and he did not care. All that he thought about now was revenge. It burned with in him as he picked himself up and felt the broken bones in his ribs. It seared in his blood as he felt it drip down his face from the cuts on his face from the pounding that he had received from the Bull. He gingerly limped his way to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

He looked at his face in the mirror and didn't recognize himself. His nose was broken, he was missing a tooth and his face was so swollen that he could hardly open both eyes. Looking at the damage that had been done to him, he knew that one thing was for sure, Gendry Baratheon would pay for this with blood. Then once the blood was shed he would take Arya, by force if need be.

He stood in his bathroom, took a pair of scissors from the counter, and went to work on cutting his hair. Once it was short, enough he took a razor out and lathered his head up. He started to work on shaving his head. Once he was finished he really didn't recognize his reflection. There was no way that Arya or anyone would know who he was if they saw him on the street. He smiled and a stranger smiled back at him. Jaqen slid his battered body into the shower and watched as the water ran pink while his blood washed away down the drain. Once that was finished, he walked out of the bathroom in a different silk robe, this one black. The first one he had been in was white now stained red.

In his room, he took his clothes out of his chest of draws and dressed with care to make sure that he was not recognizable. He was a complete stranger. He walked to the car that he had bought to follow Arya without being discovered and left his house for good. He was now on a mission. He was going to destroy Gendry Baratheon for taking everything from him.

**_-AN Just a heads up the next chapter will be a time jump._ **

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has been a while. Hope you liked this chapter. The next one is coming up.


	34. Cat Fight

Bran

One month had passed since they had gone in and clipped his animism. He still dreamed about them wheeling him back to surgery. How Meera had held his hand and kissed him, how her lips lingered on his until the nurse had to tell them that they had to leave for the operating room. Then when he woke his family had surrounded him. His mother held one hand and Meera held the other. He blushed because they all had looked so relieved. Then he got the news. The good and bad news.

The good news was that he was no longer in danger of dying from a ruptured blood vessel in his brain. The bad news was that it had been in a spot that controlled his mobility and that it would take one to three months to get mobility back. He had lost the use of his legs. He had gone from the constant threat of dropping dead at the drop of a hat to not being able to pick up a hat if someone dropped one.

Meera was the only person who could pull him out of one of the moods that he constantly found himself in. He was angry but behind that anger, he was sad and confused. Lately he started to feel guilty for being so horrible to his parents and siblings. He knew that none of them had been having a good time lately. Arya was practically under house arrest for the running away stunt and Sansa was still wheeling from her sudden break up with Sandor. He didn't feel bad for Arya but he truly did for Sansa. He still couldn't believe that Sandor had broken up with his sister via text then refused to talk to her. He would get so worked up thinking about that whole mess he would feel the rage swell inside and he would want to go out and hit the guy, only to remember that he couldn't walk.

Bran lounged in his bed with his laptop out looking for alternative ways that would get him the use of his legs. Everything that he had read said the same thing. Continue with physical therapy. He was sick of it. He slammed the lid of the computer shut, ripped the blanket off his now useless legs, and looked at them. They didn't look any different. They were still his legs. If they were poked he could feel them, he just couldn't move them yet. He sat there looking at his legs and he got madder and madder.

"You are doing the Kill Bill thing again." Meera said as she walked in. She didn't knock she just entered.

"If I will it to happen I will be able to walk again. I just know it." Bran grumbled glaring at his feet.

"It takes time Bran. It's only been a month. You will be able to walk again. You just have to give your brain time to heal. You haven't had any headaches lately have you. No nose bleeds?" She demanded standing over him with her hands on her hips.

"No." He grumbled. Some days she was worse then his mother.

"Well good. That is a good thing. You just have to take things one-step at a time. Now stop being a grump. Get into your wheel chair. We are going out."

"I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay here." Bran turned away and looked out the window.

"We are going downstairs for your family movie night. The Baratheon’s are here and Jojen is as well. They just want you to come down." Meera sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand in his.

"I don't want anyone to see me. I am broken and want to be left alone."

"Fine. I will leave you. If you want to sit here and brood in your anger, I will let you. But when you get over this I may not be here when you are done getting over yourself." Meera turned and stalked out of the room. She slammed the door and Bran looked up shocked.

Bran had never seen Meera act this way. She had stood by him; she had cheered him, made him feel better. The idea of the loss of her was enough to propel him out of bed and into the hated chair. He looked at his PJ's that he had been in for the last week. Bran was frustrated and didn't know what he was going to do now. He wanted to change but knew that he couldn't do that without help. Then thankfully, there was a knock on the door. Jojen popped her head into the room and he smirked.

"Do you need help?"

"Fuck. Yes. I need to change to go to the stupid movie downstairs. Your sister is acting crazy by the way." Bran shouted in frustration as he held onto a pair of jeans.

"She's not crazy. She is just tired that you are acting like a butthead." Jojen walked over to Bran and started to help him dress.

"Well she needs to take her own advice and do it one day at a fucking time and let me deal with things my own fucking way. I am sick and tired that everyone is bothering me. I will get out of this depression on my own fucking time." Bran yelled.

"I know that you will walk again. You don't have to tell me. I have seen it. Everyone is just worried about you. Is stubbornness a family trait? Does the North mess with you Starks brains and make you into jackasses?" Jojen helped Bran into the jeans and got him a tee from his dresser.

"Shut the hell up." Bran grumbled, but he smiled softly at his friend.

Jojen wheeled Bran out of the room and to the lift that was in the house. They rode down together and Bran put on a happy face for his family and friends.

"Tell me about what you saw. You said I would walk again, tell me when?"

"Well I guess it was Prom. Meera had on a really ugly dress and you two were dancing. I know you will walk by then. That's only one month away. So buck up and be happy."

Jojen pushed Brans chair to the large room where the projection screen was set up in the game room. Meera was sitting on a couch talking to Sansa and Myrcella. They were patting her hand and giving her shoulders small hugs. Gendry and Arya were in a chair together with their heads close receiving scowls from their mothers. Rickon and Tommen were huddled around a computer talking in hushed whispers. Ned and Robert were doing the same. When Bran entered the room and a cry of happiness went up around the room.

Catelyn and Meera rushed to him and fussed over him as if it was his first day home from the hospital. Then Ned took him out of the chair and sat him on the couch. Meera sat next to him and they held hands as the movie played. He pretended that everything was okay with him. He tried to show that he was not bitter and angry and he thought that he succeeded. But once the movie was over Meera gave him a small kiss and thanked him for trying. He squeezed her hand and said that he would be better for her sake.

Sansa

Sansa was sitting in her Chemistry class at the desk that she shared with Sandor. It was to late in the year to get a new partner so she was stuck with him until the end of the year. The last month had been hard for her. She had received the horrible text from Sandor after the amazing night that they had shared. All that it had said was  _I'm sorry but we are over. I love you, but we are no longer together._ She had been sitting in Arya’s room when she had gotten the text and had been confused. She had tried to call Sandor but he had ignored her calls. The next Monday she had walked up to him but he had ignored her again.

He didn't talk to her in any of the classes that they had shared in the morning. Then at lunch she had looked around the cafeteria for him. She had seen him at Jofferys table. Sitting beside him was Margaery Tyrell, someone who thought that she was her friend. Her friend was stroking Sandor’s face and smiling up at him. Sansa saw them together and felt sick. Sandor looked up in her direction and she saw pain and sadness in his eyes. Then he turned and looked at Margery and lifted her hand and gave it a small kiss. She felt sick in that moment. Arya had been beside her and if her sister had not been, there to catch her she would have fallen to the ground. Arya shouted for Gendry and he came to her call. Together they took her out of the room and outside. Sansa had vomited once she was no longer around the prying eyes of the school.

"I understand now." She had panted. "All this was some sick joke of Jofferys. He told Sandor to make me fall in love with him and it worked. I did. I fell in love with Sandor. Then when he got what he wanted, I was no longer of use to him and he dumped me. Sandor took my virginity and then dumped me." She started to sob then.

"I don't think that's what happened Sansa. I know Sandor and he was not like that. There must be a reason behind this." Gendry had said in a soothing voice while Arya rubbed her shoulders and back.

After lunch she didn't try to talk to Sandor. She avoided him at all cost. But her eyes could not help from wandering over to him as they sat in class together. She was a fool. That was what she was. A fool to think that she could ever have had any real relationship with Sandor. He was after all Jofferys creature.

She had started a new routine at school; avoid Sandor at all cost, especially when he was with Margaery. But they were everywhere together, in the halls, at lunch, in the parking lot after school. She saw them kissing and holding hands all the time. And each time she saw them her sadness was replaced by anger. She wanted to hurt Sandor, but she knew that she would never be able to, he was so large, but Margaery was so much smaller then him. Easy pickings Arya had said.

It had been one month since the breakup with no explanation or reason why when she saw them kissing beside her locker after chemistry. She had been walking around hurt with an anger simmering inside her for weeks now. And that had been the last straw. She had cleared her throat and Sandor had stopped, but Margaery pulled his mouth back to hers and forcefully kissed him.

"Excuse me, but I need to get into my locker." She had said.

Again, Sandor tried to move, but Margaery had ignored her. She continued to kiss Sandor. His eyes were stormy and angry. Sansa knew that much of his moods to know he was pissed. She wondered why he didn't make Margaery. stop. Then she didn't care. Margaery had pulled her mouth away and looked right at Sansa.

"Do you need something dear?" Margaery asked all sweetness and honey.

"Yes. I need you to move the fuck off my man. I mean my locker." Sansa blushed. She had not meant to say her man, but she had said the first thing that popped into her mind.

"Your man? Last time I checked he was my man." Margaery took a step back from Sandor and closer to Sansa.

"You need to back up." Sansa said with clenched teeth.

"Or what? You will cry rape again and take me to court? That sort of worked last time. Maybe I will get probation for overcrowded jails to and be out like Joffery." Margaery sneered.

Sansa balled her hand into a fist and she let it fly. She hit Margaery right in the nose. Sansa stood in shock, but Margaery didn't wait. She slapped Sansa right across the face. Sandor tried to break them up but it was to late. Sansa had a hold of Margaery's hair and was pulling with all her might. Margaery scratched Sansa across the cheek. Sansa’s hold loosened its grip and Margery was able to get some room between them. Sansa slapped her and then Margaery had her hair in her grasp. They fell to the floor, clawing and slapping as they rolled in the hall. A crowd had gathered and was cheering them on. Sansa was on top of Margaery landing slap after slap on her fallen opponent. Teachers were rushing out of their classrooms now. Margaery was screaming and slashing at Sansa.

Sandor lifted Sansa off Margaery and took her away from the crowed. Margaery lay crumpled in a heap on the ground. Teachers were shouting down the hall for Sandor to stop and for him to bring Sansa back but he ignored them. Sansa was cradled in his arms, still seething in anger. They got out to the auto shop and he put her on her feet. Then she put everything she had in a right hand and aimed at Sander’s left eye. She was to short, but she was able to connect with his jaw.

"Ouch." She howled.

"You shouldn't have done that Sansa." His voice was gruff and he was rubbing his jaw.

"Go to hell you bastard." She shouted cradling her aching hand to her body. "After a month of not talking to me all you have to say to me is 'You shouldn't have done that'?"

"Let me look at your hand." He reached for her but she twisted away from her.

"Fuck off. Go back in there and see if your girlfriend is alright." She shouted in his face.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. He opened her fist and made sure that no fingers were broken.

"Sansa I know that this is not what I wanted, or what you deserve, but I had no choice. Joffery is blackmailing me. My father and brother work for his family. He told me that if I did not break up with you he would have them both fired and that they would be home. One or all of us would have killed each other. I had no choice. I had to do what he said." His face was a broken mask of pain and regret.

"Is that true? You didn't just use me?" Her voice was small and timid as she asked.

"It is true. Sansa I love you. I hope you know that. I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope that someday you can forgive me." He whispered.

"So he made you break up with me, but what about Margaery? How does she fit into all this?" She demanded.

"Joffrey said he was jealous of you. Since you got here, people have forgotten about her and have fallen under your spell. Even her family. You pushed her out of the spotlight and she wanted to hurt you. She and Joffrey seem working together to hurt you, but I’m not sure of her." He said in a rush.

Sansa’s head was spinning. Sandor still loved her, but they couldn't be together or his family would suffer. She was so confused. This explanation did nothing to erase the month of heartache and pain. But it did give her a reason as to why he had done what he did.

"What do we do now?" She demanded.

"We go back to how things have been. We cannot be together until school is over. Once I am out of here, I don't care what happens to my family. I will be gone and so will you. When you return North, I am coming with you. Until then we can be together in secret." Sandor was so close to her. She breathed in his sent and the memories that she had been trying so hard to forget for a month flooded her senses.

She reached up and pulled his head down for a crushing kiss. It was not soft and tender, but hungry and angry. Her tongue darted into his mouth and snaked around his. He savagely pulled her to him and she felt his need for her alive in his jeans. He moaned and she answered it with her own.

They heard footsteps and broke apart. They looked at each other and then his hand lifted to her face and came away red. The scratch marks were bleeding and she was hurt. She was surprised that it took her this long to notice the feeling.

"Sansa you have to come with me." Renly said from the door to the school. "You as well Sandor. The principle wants a word with you two."

Sansa took one last look at Sandor and gave him a small smile. He returned the smile and they followed Renly into the school. Things were not fixed, but they were better. She and Sandor were now on the same page and she knew what was going on. One way or another she vowed she was going to make Joffery pay and find out what he had on Margaery. Sansa knew that Margaery wouldn’t do anything unless she had to.

Arya

When she had heard that Sansa had been in a fight she was sadly disappointed that she had missed it. She sat outside the principal's office with Bran as they waited for her parents to have their discussion with the principle.

"Can you believe that she had the balls to get in a fight?" Arya asked.

"No. If any of us were going to get into a fight, I would have said it was you. Sansa is subtle, this was not subtle." Bran remarked from his chair.

"I am glad that she did it. One more day and I would have kicked the snot out of that prissy bitch myself." Arya sighed as if she had lost something. Bran chuckled. "So do you think she is going to be grounded?"

"Oh yeah. This might even make you look like a good daughter for once." Bran chuckled.

"Hey I am a good daughter." She shoved her brother in the shoulder.

Sansa and their parents came out of the office then. Sansa had four perfect scratches on her cheek, her hair was a mess, but there was a smile on her face.

"Come along children. Arya help Bran. We are going home." Ned was serious and unsmiling. Their mother looked grim. They walked to the car silently.

"Arya can you ask Myrcella if she could drive Sansa’s car to the house? We left the key at the front desk." Catelyn said as they were almost to the family car.

Arya sent Myrcella a text with the request.

"She says she can do that." Arya said as they sat in the car.

The car was silent on the drive home. Once they were in the house her father rounded on his children.

"I am ashamed of all of you. You three have been acting reprehensibly. First Arya runs away, and then Bran you have been so depressed that I have wanted to shake you until some sense comes back into your head. Now this! Sansa fighting is never an option. I thought you knew better. I thought we had raised you differently. Sansa you are grounded for a month. You will not be going North next week for Spring break. Arya you may go, but only because Robb and Jon have twisted my arm in letting you go. Bran I want you to go to your therapy sessions without complaint. Now all of you to your rooms until dinner. And Sansa clean your face up." Ned walked away leaving his three children standing opened mouthed.

They took the elevator up with Bran. None of them spoke until they were all in Arya’s room.

"Wow. I have never seen father this mad. I think he was going to have a stroke. Did you see that vein bulging in his head?" Arya asked flopping down on her bed.

"Don't be to harsh on father. We haven't been making his life easy." Sansa said from the desk chair.

"Yeah. We have been pretty bad this last month." Bran said.

"I should get something to clean your cuts. God knows what that bitch had on her nails. You might have MERSA and we don't know it." Arya stood and went to get the first aid kit from the bathroom.

While she was cleaning up her sisters face she listened to her tell them the reason to why Sandor broke up with her.

"That disgusting little worm. You would have thought having his car blow up would have been enough, but to do this is crossing a line." Arya said as she spread antibiotic ointment on Sansa’s face.

"Some people just don't learn. There is nothing we can do until the end of the year. He has to much power still." Sansa said reasonably.

"I don't like it." Bran said from his place by the door. "There has to be something that we can do."

Arya’s phone rang. It was Gendry.

"Is Sansa okay?" He asked.

"Yeah she is. You should talk to Sandor. We have the real reason why he broke up with Sansa. Joff is blackmailing him. He needs another lesson in manners." Arya said into the phone.

"Blackmail? That is low. He is a pig. I will talk to Sandor. I am sure me and the guys can think of something." He sounded thoughtful.

"Oh and I can come to your gig this weekend back home. Robb and Jon talked father around to it." She smiled as she broke the news. There was a loud whoop on the other end of the line.

"That's great Arya. I love you. I'll call you when I talk to Sandor." She heard the huge grin on his face.

"I love you too." She hung up the phone and smiled down at it. She was in love with a goof ball and she was proud of it.

"So I take it he was excited by the news?" Bran’s voice was so bland it was as dry as burnt toast.

"God Bran do you have to be so cynical all the time." Arya lobbed a pillow at his head.

"Hey cheap shot. Don't throw things at a guy in wheel chairs!" He was mad, but the two girls smiled then they all broke into laughter. This was the happiest any of them had felt in a long time.

Gendry

He had not wanted to tell Arya but for the last month, he had noticed that he was being followed. He suspected it was Jaqen. He felt it. He had called the art school back east that he was supposed to be at and they had said that Jaqen had never made it. He was worried that the guy would do something to him. He felt like the beating he had given the guy had left him even more deranged then he already was.

So when he left for home after school he tested his theory. Hot Pie was following him and he was supposed to text when he saw the beat up old Toyota that Gendry had noticed following him.

_It's there. A bald guy with a flattened nose is driving. -HP_

Gendry knew that he had broken Jaqen’s nose. He had his proof. He knew that he should call the cops and report it. Stalking was a big crime in LA County. He could get the guy thrown in jail. But he wanted to deal with it himself. Now was not the time. He had the big gig up north to do next weekend. Jon had a friend that was a producer and they were going to have him produce their record. His father was willing to bankroll the thing and bring in a professional, but the guys agreed that they wanted someone who was as unknown as they were. They were going to meet this Sam guy and feel him out.

Gendry did not want Jaqen to get in the way of that. So he was going to wait. Watch, wait, and see what Jaqen decided to do. He suspected that he would follow him up to Seattle, but he didn't think he would do anything with Arya with him. He knew that the guy had a delusion about her. He had to protect her at all costs.

Once they got back from the trip he was going to confront him. But after that phone call from Arya he had more pressing matters. Sandor was meeting him at his father's place for a talk. It was one place that he knew Joffery didn't have any spies around.

Gendry pulled up to the studio and Sandor was waiting for him. The rest of the guys were there as well. They all were glaring at Sandor. They had all felt betrayed when he had broken up with Sansa.

"Hey guys." He smiled as he got out of the car.

"What is he doing here?" Thoros asked jetting his chin in Sandor’s direction.

"He is here to explain things. Now let's all go inside and let him talk." Gendry’s voice rang with authority that he had heard his father use.

They all went into the studio and listened to Sandor’s story of blackmail. Beric had jumped up a few times and demanded revenge on Joffery. Thoros had a time calming him down. Aegon sat stunned that Joffery would go so far to hurt Sansa again. Hot Pie was silent through the whole thing.

"I say we make him an exlax pie and make him pay that way. I really don't want to blow up another car." Hot Pie had said.

"That sounds okay with me." Aegon put in.

"No we need to beat him into the ground." Beric had said.

"Whatever we need to do has to either be before we go or after. Let's just decide on the when not the what." Gendry never imagined he would be the voice of reason with the group.

"I say that we take something that he wants. He wants to be King of the Prom. I way we take it. We nominate someone to run against him. That would crush him." Sandor said.

"He really cares about that? Being King of some stupid dance?" Beric was amazed.

"Yeah he really does. He even has a crown to practice how to hold his head when he is made King." Sandor chuckled.

"What a fucking tool." Thoros said.

"So who will be our new king?" Hot Pie asked.

"Gendry or Sandor. They have the popularity. I say we put them both up and if one wins we all win." Aegon said reasonably.

"Good idea." Beric piped up. "We can campaign for them both and one of them has to win."

"I feel like a lamb heading to the slaughter." Gendry groaned. When he told Arya their plan she was not going to let him live it down.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night! We are almost finished. Hang in here with me. Enjoy.


	35. My Kind Of Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has been a while, but here is the latest post. I will be trying to get this updated on a more regular basis. Thanks for sticking with me!

Myrcella

28 hours in a car was killing her legs. Myrcella had been happy for the first few hours. She had loved cuddling in the back seat with Aegon and hearing the banter from Arya and Gendry from the front. When she had thought that Arya and Gendry had been occupied she had slipped her hand in to Aegon’s pants and gave him a hand job. She had felt so sneaky and naughty. She had almost got caught when she giggled and Arya had looked behind at her. Myrcellas face had gone pink and she frozen with her hand on Aegons super hard cock.

"I want to be inside you so fucking bad." He had whispered into her ear and it sent shivers down her back. She got back to work on pleasuring her man.

Three hours later when they stopped at a rest stop they all got out of the car moving like they were 90 years old. Arya walked over to the van that the boys were piling out of the old beat up paint van that they used to haul the equipment.

"Fuck me sideways I hope that we are almost there. Are we almost there Arya?" Thoros yelled from across the rest area.

"This is the last rest stop before we are to Winterfell. Two hours and we will be there. Then you will see the sexy ladies that I promised you." Arya winked at Thoros and came over to Myrcella.

"There are sexy ladies here? I thought that you Northern girls are so bundled up that there is no way to tell if they look good or not." Aegon joked.

"We may bundle up, but that makes it like the guy is unwrapping a present when he finally gets into our pants. Speaking of pants what were you doing in the back seat last night to Aegon Myrcella?"

"I was trying to make a comfortable area to lay my head. There was something in the way." Myrcella smiled and batted her eye lashed at Arya.

"So is there something going on with Gendry that he is not telling me? He has been in a bad mood for the past week and he won't tell me why."

"I don't know if it is my place to say Arya. He is my brother and I don't want to say anything without his approval. And the only way that I know anything is because he is loud and bitches like a girl." Myrcella looked at her brother as he looked in at the equipment in the van.

"Just tell me. Sansa said that Sandor has some new plan to get back at Joffery and I want to know what Gendry has to do with this plan." Arya said with a huff.

"Well Joffery is also my brother and I don't like him much but he is still my family. But I will tell you that it had to do with Prom." Myrcella smiled sweetly.

"Prom? What the hell can Gendry do to hurt Joffery that has to do with prom? Are they going to do the thing like the end of Carrie and dump blood all over him?" Arya demanded.

"Not that I know of. And from what I have heard that is a better idea then the one they are coming up with. See from the arguments that I have heard between Gendry and the guys they want either Sandor or Gendry to be prom king and steal the crown away from Joffery." Myrcella couldn’t help to keep the evil smile off her face.

Arya busted out laughing and they gossiped about how either guy would look with a crown gracing their brows. When it was time to get back in the car Myrcella grumbled and bitched about having to get back in the car. They drove to Winterfell and Myrcellas eyes popped out when she saw where Arya and the rest of the Starks had grown up. She had always thought that the Red Keep was an amazing house, but it had nothing in comparison to Stark Manor. The building was huge and old. There was history in every stone. But the best part was the grounds. She loved nature and she was in love with the gardens and forests that were all around the house.

"Arya you never said that you lived in a magical land like this." Myrcella looked around in wonder.

"It is just what I have always known. It's nothing new to me." Arya shrugged.

"Shit babe this place puts the Red Keep to shame." Gendry looked around.

"Its home and it's good to be back. Look there are my stupid big brothers." Arya smiled as three tall men walked over to them.

Myrcella loved Argon but Jon and Robb were sexy as hell. They gave Arya hugs and they all shook hands with the guys. Myrcella hung back and watched. They showed Jon his car and he was dancing around it like it was the best thing in the world, not just some stupid car.

"This is great. Thank you Gendry." He hugged her brother and gave him a manly back pound.

"What about me? I found the danm thing and worked on it and bought the parts. I don't get a thanks?" Arya demanded and stomped her foot.

"Come here Little Wolf. You did good." Jon picked Arya up and they laughed together.

They all went into the house and again Myrcella was struck with amazement at the grandeur of the front hall. It was ten times bigger than the entryway of the Red Keep. She had never seen anything so old. It was like being a museum. She spun around looking at the pictures of the Starks of Winterfell. The family history was right there on the walls and she noticed that Jon and Arya were the only ones that looked like the Starks of old.

"Christ Arya this place is fantastic. I think that you all should come back here. This place is so much pettier then smoggy LA. There is fresh air here. I don't think that I have ever smelled air so good." Hot Pie yelled as he stumbled in with his large bag of stuff.

"We will come back here. Have no doubt about that. But I will not be forced to leave unless I am ready." Arya snarled.

Myrcella shot a look over to her brother. She knew what he planned on doing once Arya moved back to Winterfell to finish high school and then go to college. Her poor stupid brother was addicted to her spunky friend. Myrcella didn't know what she would do without Arya the next year, but it was bound to be okay. Joffery was not going to be there to mess things up for her.

"So where are we all sleeping?" She asked. "I really want a shower."

"You can use Sansa’s room. And let me warn you now there is an abnormal amount of pink in it." Arya looped her arm in Myrcellas and lead her up the grand staircase. The room was covered in pink. It looked like Pepto-Bismol had exploded on everything. Myrcella was shocked to see that the TV was even pink!

"Holy crap, when you said everything was pink you meant it." Myrcella spun around looking at everything.

Arya looked around in disgust. "She likes stupid things. She pleased my mother. I wanted to paint one of my walls black. I was going to have three of them white, but I wanted one black. My mother had said no. Then Sansa had come along and asked for pink and my mother was over joyed to go on a pink spree with her elder daughter."

"I know what that is like. Having a mother that is disappointed in you. But it won't last forever. In a few years we will leave and they will have no control over us. Just think about that. When you are out of your parents' house you can paint a whole room black and Catelyn can't say shit!" The two girls smiled at each other.

"The bathroom is right next door. It's all yours." Arya left the room and Myrcella was surrounded by all the pink.

Gendry

Winterfell was an amazing place. Arya had led him up to her room and they had sex like rabbits. Or that's what Arya called it. They lay together with their limbs tangled together. Gendry was running his fingers in her tangled hair. He supposed that he would have to tell Arya that he was supposed to run for prom king and win so that they could defeat Joffery once and for all, but he couldn't do that, not yet.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked as she shifted her head from his chest to look up at his face.

"I was thinking that I have to tell you something." He mumbled.

She stiffened and his heart began to race. He felt her pulse increase and he knew that he had stepped in it.

"It's nothing bad. It's just about the revenge that me and the guys have been working on for Joffery. You see we plan on taking away the thing that he wants most. He dreams of being prom king. The boys think that I could win. Well it is either me or Sandor. I personally hope that it is Sandor. I know you're your sister wants a crown as well and they would be better together as the queen and king of the Prom then I would."

Gendry felt a small giggle start in her, he felt it build until it broke and she let a whole hearted laugh out of her mouth. He tried to talk but she would not stop laughing. Every time that he tried to speak she would laugh in his face.

"It's not that funny. Or unbelievable." He grumbled.

"Yes it is. I can see it now. You are standing up on a stage with a white suit with a sash around your shoulder proclaiming you king to all. Then you would have the crown placed on your noble brow and you would be bowed down to by all the little people. Can you picture it?" She stifled a giggle again.

"That's not funny!" He grumbled again, gently pushing her off his chest. He sat up and swung his legs off the bed. He swept his shorts from off the ground and slid into them. He jumped off the bed and stalked across the floor.

"Where are you going? I wasn't done with you yet. I still had a thing or two to do with you in this bed." She called after him.

"Well I am not amused by your reaction to our plan. I think that I am going to see what the guys are up to. Maybe get some practice in before the gig tomorrow. I will talk to you later."

He left Arya sitting alone in her bed clutching the blankets to her round naked chest. Gendry wasn't that toughie about things but he had been under stress for the last week. He had gotten five acceptance letters from collages and his father was pressuring him in to following him into the family business. Then there was the fact that Jaqen was still following him. It was not something that he wanted to deal with yet. He had not shared any of this with Arya. He wanted to deal with his problems on his own.

He stormed down the staircase and found the guys in the large living room. They had the band equipment set up and they were tuning it. Myrcella was standing with Aegon and he was showing her how to play the base. Thoros and Hot Pie were working on a piece of paper together and Beric was on the phone with his girlfriend who could not come on the trip.

Jon came over and raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"You have a hickey on your neck. I think it is safe to say that you and my sister were doing the dirty? I should kick your ass for doing that with her. But you make her so happy that I will let it slide. If it was someone else they would be dead. But I like you. So what's new with you?"

"Not much. I have one little problem. It seems that our little friend Jaqen has stopped stalking your sister and has taken up with stalking me instead. I guess that I should not have beaten him up so well. He is mad now." They shared a glance with one another. Jaqen was a problem and they both knew it.

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't really know. Thank the Gods that L.A. has amazing laws against stalkers. If he gets to out of hand I can turn him over to the cops and they can deal with him. With my stalking and what I suspect he did to your sister I think he would go away for a long time. But I hope that I get another chance at the fuck. I haven't told Arya any of this. I don't want to worry her. I would tell you to keep your mouth shut or I would kill you, but I know that you won't tell her."

The two men stood there and they looked at each other in the silent communication that men can have that make women crazy. But thanks to their double x chromosome they had a moment of perfect understanding. They did not want to scare Arya. For the brave face that she put up they alone knew how vulnerable she was. Jon gave a small nod of his head and they moved on.

"I really want to thank you for the car. I have been looking for that year and model for years. I love it." Jon said, trying to change the subject to one that they were comfortable with.

"Our shop teacher has been trying to unload that rust bucket on someone for years. At first I thought that Arya was stupid for buying it, but then I learned her take no prisoner nature and I knew that if anyone bought it she was the one to fix it up. I think she did a hell of a job on restoring it." Gendry smiled in pride in what his girlfriend had been able to achieve in the short amount of time that she had the car under her care.

"She is the type of person who likes to stick with something till the end. When she loves something she loves it till the bitter end." Jon gave a rueful smile and walked away.

Gendry was at a loss for words. He knew that Jon was trying to tell him something with that last remark. He knew that he had a tough choice ahead. He thought that he had made the decision to leave the guys easily, but playing with them was a high and a reason for living for him. How could he walk away from the guys when they were so close to making it into the Bit Time? Was love enough to walk away from three years of hard work? He was uncertain for the first time in his life. So much had changed since he had gotten a family and he had started learning what it meant to have one. He now had this feeling if he created his whole life around Arya he would miss out on so much. He had a lot to think of in the week to come spent in the North. He hoped that he figured it out soon.

Sandor

Sandor sat with a glass of whiskey in his hand and thought of what he was going to do next. He had to go to a brunch with Margaery and Joffery. He did not want to go. He would rather be with Sansa sharing a snuggle and a caress together. But he still had to hold up his end of the act that he had agreed to when he said that he would break up with Sansa. He hated this more then he wanted to admit.

He drained the glass and walked out of his bedroom. He didn't want to make to much noise in the house. It was one of the rare moments that his father was home at the same time that his brother was home. He had planned on being away this week in the North with his friends, but Joffery had made sure that he had been stuck at home. It was just another reason why he hated the little fuck that had destroyed his life.

He checked his clothing to make sure that Joffery would not have something to bitch about. He didn't mind spending time with Margaery. When they were out of school and they didn't have to pretend to be together she was not half bad. He still hated her for the roll she was playing with Sansa. But he had never asked her why she was really doing this. He didn't believe what Joffery had said to him for her reason. Margaery had always seemed like a sweet person. He suspected that Joffery had a hold over her like he had on him. Sandor wanted to find out what had caused her to betray Sansa the way that she had.

He made it to his car without alerting his family members. In his car he turned the key over and the engine roared to life. He threw the car in reverse and he let his tires mark up the white driveway. Once he threw it in drive he really peeled out and sped over to the Tyrell house. There was a large white tent erected in the yard of the Tyrell house that the brunch was being held in. He spotted the cars of Joffery and Cersie. He had not realized that the whole lot of the stupid Lannister family would be here. He wanted to be as far from them all as possible. He gritted his teeth and left the car. He walked over to the tent and a hand shot out and grabbed him before he could go in.

"Young man I have a bone to pick with you. You are dating my granddaughter but we both know that she is not the one that you should be with." The hand holding his arm was wrinkled yet the grip of the hand was strong.

"Excuse me ma'am. I do not understand." He said sounding confused. It wasn’t hard to be confused. He really was.

"Do not play stupid with me. I am the doctor that Sansa has been seeing and despite my professionalism I have let the poor girl into my heart. You have hurt the girl and I want to know why. Not that I am sad that you are dating my granddaughter. You are a rare man in this day and age, but Sansa loved you."

Sandor was struck dumb. He had not expected to be ambushed by Margaery's grandmother.

"Do not stand there you're your mouth opened like a dead fish. Speak boy!" Her voice rose to a hear yell.

"Grandmother what are you doing to one of the guests!" Willas Tyrell walked out of the tent leaning on his cane. "Oh it's him. Carry on Grandmother."

Again Sandor was shocked. The ADA had always seemed like a level headed man to him. But the look of disgust on his face shocked Sandor.

"I am here for brunch with Margaery. I am her boyfriend. I was in a relationship with Sansa but we are no longer together. Now if you will excuse me I have to find Margaery." He attempted to leave but the small vise like hand came back and held onto his hand.

"I do not like that explanation boy. Come clean. I know that you two would not break up unless there is a reason." The old Lady barked.

Sandor measured the reply that he could make. He was going to lie but then he looked from the faces of the two Tyrell's. They were deadly serious. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"I am being blackmailed. Joffery is blackmailing me and he said that Margaery is jealous of Sansa for all the attention Sansa was getting. He said that they wanted to hurt her. I don't know if that is truly how Margaery feels. She might be angry or blackmailed as well. Joffery is a sick bustard."

Lady Olenna nodded her head and looked at her grandson. He disappeared back into the tent and reappeared with Margery behind him. She had a smile on her face, but when she saw Sandor with her Grandmother her smile wilted around the edges.

"Margaery are you being blackmailed into dating this boy?" Her brother demanded in his best courtroom voice.

The dolor drained from her face and she looked at her brother. Then a single tear rolled her face.

"Yes."

"What is it that he has on you?" The Lady demanded.

"A video. From last summer. We had gone to the Baratheon summer house at Storms End and I had been in the pool house shower and Joffery came in and he." Her voice faltered.

"Did he attack you?" Willas demanded. She nodded her head and Sandor wanted to tear the tent apart to find the fucker. Joffery had only tried to violate Sansa, but he had succeeded in taking something from Margaery that she could never get back and he made sure that she never forgot it.

"Willas I want you to take Margery to the police station and have her give a statement. I want the little Lannister cunt arrested. And this time he will be put away for a long time." Olenna said with steel in her voice.

"But I never said no. I said don't but never no. It's not rape because I didn't say no." Margaery looked between her brother and grandmother.

"Don't is enough dear. And if the little worm has it on tape then you can believe that he will be going away for a long time." Willas wrapped an arm around her and lead her away crying on his shoulder.

"Now boy I want you to go in and talk to your friend. I want you to put the fear of the seven in that bastard. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I believe I can." Sandor smiled a horrifying smile that he knew scared many people due to his scars. The wicked old Olenna smiled back and they walked into the tent arm in arm. He had never known a person, let alone a lady to accept that smile. But he figured that the lady on his arm had the same goal in mind. They were going to shake Joffery Lannister to the core and have a good time doing it.

They entered the tent and casual conversations fell to the point that you could hear a pin drop. Sandor walked her to a seat at a long table placed up front and he left her sitting with all the dignity of a queen. He looked around the tent appearing to be lost. Sandor had gotten good at acting during the last month. He knew that his lost puppy look would make Joffery come to him. He looked down at his co-conspirator and she gave him a savage wink when they both noted that their pray was walking over to them.

"Well Hound where is the ever charming Margaery? I saw her walk out with her brother a few moments ago. You must have gotten here to late to take the sweet lady in. You seem to have gotten a lady to escort you into the brunch." Joffery sneered as he slithered over to them.

"I saw her leaving with Willas as I pulled up. She seemed distraught and I called for her, but they kept going. She was very upset, but Olenna needed my assistance, so I obliged her an escort into the tent." Sandor looked at the lady with respect that he didn't have to fake.

"It seems that you chose a worthy woman to escort." Joffery leered and it took everything in Sandor to not hit him in the face right there.

"I just had an illuminating talk with my granddaughter before dear Sandor came upon me outside. It appears that she is not comfortable with how her life has turned out. She has reservations about betraying a dear friend of hers. I believe that you know her, Sansa Stark?" Olenna arched her brow at Joffery.

"I know the girl. A bit lacking for my taste, but Sandor here liked her well enough, before your enchanting granddaughter came along. Isn't that right Hound?"

"His name is Sandor and I suggest that you learn it young man. You may want to show respect to those who are more noble and larger then you are." Her words stung Joffery as she said them.

"The Hound, I mean Sandor, doesn't mind the nickname. Do you?" Joffery turned his watery green eyes to Sandor. He gave the worm the answer that he expected in order to sooth his growing discomfort of the elderly lady before them.

"No I do not mind. I have had that name with Joffery since preschool. Why should he learn my nane now? It’s not like he had a memory that retains anything.”

"Why indeed?" The lady asked.

"Hound I hope that Olenna has not been filling your head with things that you can't understand." Joffrey demanded.

"She had not. Like she said I was just escorting her in. I do hope Margaery is alright." He glanced down at his co-conspirator. She gave a shrug and Joffery paled slightly.

"I believe that she is alright. Hound why don't you come with me over to the buffet. Would you like us to get you a plate?" Joffery added as an afterthought to Olenna.

"Yes dear that would me most kind of you. Olenna batted her lashes at Joffery like she was a new flower in bloom.

Joffery lead Sandor over to the table where the food was displayed. Sandor took care looking as if he was choosing the food for the grandmother of his girlfriend. They collected their food in silence. They deposited their food to Olenna without a word, but she gave Sandor a look that was full of support. He took his plate of food to the table that Joffery indicated. They were alone and Joffery suspected nothing. He was too stupid to realize that he was being lead to the slaughter.

"So I have not had a real chance to speak with you since Sansa's outburst in the hall. How are things going? I noticed that you took off with her right after the confrontation between her and Margaery.” Joffrey said lightly.

"I took her away so that she could not make any more trouble for Margaery. They both have a fighting spirit. I knew that things would get out of hand if I did not intervene." Sandor lifted a fork of Eggs Benedict to his mouth. He chewed until there was nothing in his mouth. He waited until Joffery was uncomfortable with the silence.

"Well I am glad to note that it worked. Sansa did not pull another stunt after that. If I knew how much fire she had in her I would have tried harder with her. I would have not wasted my time on dinner at a fancy restaurant. I hope you realize that Margaery is used goods. I had her once, last summer. She refused at first then I had her bagging for it in the end." Joffery puffed up like a proud chicken.

Sandor felt sick to his stomach when Joffery reviled that he had brutalized Margaery, and he felt a rage boiling with in him for how brutal Joffery had become. He had hurt an innocent girl and hurt the one person that Sandor loved. He chewed his food measuring his words carefully before he spoke.

"So that is why she is doing this. I never believed that she wanted to hurt Sansa. She hates you as much as Sansa does. And it seems that they have good reason to. Tell me can you only get it up if you don’t force yourself on a woman?" Sandor was lifting the fork to his mouth and he saw from the corner of his eye the color that Joffery was turning.

"How dare you! You are nothing you bastard. I will see that you pay for that." Joffery seethed.

"Go ahead and fire my brother and father. Make them stay home. I can stay with you're your ex-father and his family. It seems that he loves me and Waters like the sons that he never had. What is the matter Lannister? Are you finally realizing that you have no power over me? Go fuck yourself. I hear your mother and real father like to fuck each other and they are twins, that's almost the same thing as fucking yourself. You will be carrying on your family traditions." Sandor stood from the table and walked out of the tent. He made it to his car and texted Sansa. He told her that she should go meet Margaery at the police station. If anyone would understand and be able to help Margaery it would be her.

Sansa

Sansa received a text from Sandor saying that Margaery was down at the police station giving a statement that Joffery had raped her. Sansa felt her stomach clench in knots. The girl that had destroyed her life was in trouble. She chewed on her thumb nail and debated on what she should do. She then thought of what she had felt like after her attack. She had been a wreck and if it had not been for Arya she knew that she would not have had the strength to tell her story. She left her room and bolted down the stairs and headed to her father's study.

She was still technically grounded and restricted to the house. But once she told her father what was going on he agreed that she should be there for her friend. She ran with unlady like speed to her car and she knew that she was driving like a crazy person. She parked her car in front of the station and sprinted up the stairs. Willas was talking to the desk sergeant. Margaery was sitting on a wooden bench holding herself together. Sansa walked over and Margaery looked up at her with her watery eyes.

"Sansa I…" Margeryq started to say then her body was taken over by wracking sobs.

Sansa threw her arms around her shoulders and willed her strength into her friend.

"I never would have done what I did unless I was being forced to do it. I know that you and Sandor love one another. I just had no choice." Margaery sat up wiping her eyes.

"I know. Trust me I know. Now let's go tell the detectives what happened to you. That little worm needs to be behind bars. And if the gods are kind he will become some big man named Olaf's bitch and get a taste of his own medicine." She took the shaken girls hand in hers and led her to the detectives that had helped her out.

Detective Bronn looked at Sansa and then to Willas. Margaery was still crying and he took the situation in quickly. He led their group to a small room that they had used for Sansa’s interview. Willas said a quick thank you to Sansa while the detective left the room to get them some tea.

"It is the least that I can do. I was lucky. I am here to support Margaery during this ordeal." Sansa said with a soothing voice.

The detective came back and Margaery told her story. Joffery had come across her in the shower of the pool house at his then thought fathers summer house. Margaery had demanded that he leave her alone but had laughed in her face and had pulled the towel that she had covering her body and began to touch her. She had said to stop but he continued to fondle her. Joffery then took his swim shorts off and told her to bend over. Again Margaery had said don't but it was not enough. He entered her and she then submitted to the assault. By the end she had figured out that if she did not play along he wouldn't leave, so she had acted like she liked it. It was a month and a half ago when Joffery approached her and said that he had the encounter on tape and if she did not do what he wanted he would show the tape to the student body at school and she would be shown as a slut.

"That is when I was forced to date Sandor Clegane. I did not want to, but I was afraid of not doing what Joffery said. He showed me the part where I was acting like I wanted it. I was scared that he would make his side of the story the true one and mine would not be heard." Margaery finished.

"So you say that he has the encounter on tape?" Bronn asked.

"Yes. It was on a flash drive. I am sure that he still has it." She whispered. Sansa held her hand and felt like ice water had just been poured over her. She never thought she would feel relieved for not being fully raped. What happened to her had been bad enough, but hearing what Margaery had gone through made her feel slightly better.

"We can have another ADA from my office get you a warrant ASAP to find the tape before the shit deletes it." Willas chimed in. He looked a little green to Sansa.

"That would be helpful. You know that you are not the first person to come forward since the trial. We just didn't have enough evidence to put the little shit away. But with this tape he is going to be going away for a long time." Bronn looked at the two girls. Sansa knew that she was miles away from the girl that she was the last time that she had sat in this room. She was stronger and could take whatever happened.

"Thank you detective. I believe that Miss Tyrell has been more then helpful. I think Margaery needs a rest." Sansa took hold of Margaery's elbow and lead her out of the room so Willas could talk to Bronn in privet. "I can take her home. I know that you will have a lot of work to do Willas."

"Thank you Sansa. You are a true friend to my sister." He smiled sadly over at his sister.

The two girls walked out to Sansa’s car. Margaery moved like a zombie. Sansa remembered the feeling. She did not envy Margaery her upcoming coming ordeal. Sansa had lived through one once, and that was enough for her. The two got into Sansa’s mini and started for Tyrell House.

"Please don't take me home. There are people there and Joffery is one of them. I do not want to have to face him yet." Margaery said in a small voice.

"Where do you want to go? My house is always opened if you want to come over." Sansa offered.

"To tell you the truth I am hungry. Is there any place that you know that is low key and had good food?" Margaery asked.

Sansa drove to the 50's dinner. They sat at a booth by the windows and ordered huge double bacon cheese burgers with fries and milk shakes. They were acting out of characters and Sansa knew that this is what Margeryq needed. She needed something not normal to take her mind off things.

"I'm sorry that I hit you the other day." Sansa said as she waited for their food.

"I completely understand. If rolls had been reversed I would not have waited a month to hit you. I would have done it a lot sooner. I deserved it. I hope that you know that I never meant to hurt you. I was so vile to you to protect myself. It was selfish and spiteful. And I will admit that I am jealous of you. I always wanted to date Sandor. He was always the best out of the whole lot of them in the popular group. I wanted to know what it would be like to have someone to love me and care for me the way that he does for you." Margeryq admitted over the rim of her shake glass.

"Sandor is the best. I truly love him. When we first moved here I thought that life would be miserable, but he made things bearable. I can't wait to start my life with him. I think he might be the one." Sansa smiled wistfully as the waitress placed their food in front of them.

They ate their food and talked about things that were of no consequence. Shows, clothes and the shops where they planned to buy their prom dresses. Margaery admitted that she had no desire to fight for crown, but it was family tradition to have a Tyrell on the court so she had to follow her family and put her name in the running.

"I know that you will win. I could do it with the pity vote once this whole scandal brakes, but you deserve it more then I do." Margaery said.

They were munching on fries and were deciding if they wanted to get a slice of pie. In the end the girls decided that pie was just what they needed and they took their slices to go to make their way to the Stark house for some Kate and Leo therapy.

Sansa sent a text to Sandor telling him that Jofferys down fall was set in motion and that she was with Margaery.

_Okay. I think that it may be time to end this fake love affair between her and me. I want to be with you. I love you Sansa._

_I know. I love you too._

Bran

He stood between the bars of his therapy studio. He had been working on his lower body strength all month and he felt he was ready to let go of the rails. His hand uncurled from around them and he stood for a few moments without falling. He picked up one leg and it wobbled slightly, but he was able to control its movements. He placed it down. Then he took another step. He grinned. He was walking. It was slow and he was unsteady, but he was using his legs. Meera slipped from the chair at the side then sprung from the seat to kiss him.

"Oh Bran!" She exclaimed, knocking him over in her joy to get to him.

"Easy there hon. You are likely to break me again with the way that you are carrying on." He laughed.

"I'm sorry, but I am just so excited for you!" She giggled and kissed him hard.

He turned around and made his way back to his chair and sat down. He was tired beyond belief. Walking seven feet had taken it out of him. He collapsed in his chair and he closed his eyes. He was sucked away into a vision. He had not suffered one since his operation months ago.

Bran was not himself. He was again the boy filled with rage. He was sitting in a car watching Gendry. He felt the gun in his hand and leveled it up to the level with his prays head. He started to pull the trigger, but there was a flurry of activity and he was surrounded by men in uniforms. He was thrown on the table and he could taste blood in his mouth.

Bran came back to the therapy room and Meera’s worried face.

"Bran tell me what you saw?" She demanded.

"The angry stalker gets arrested before he can kill Gendry." Bran said with a pant.

Meera’s face broke into a smile.

"We have been waiting for that vision to change. Something must have happened to change his mind in the course that he was going to take. Bran this is amazing news. You walked and we have learned you're your sister is not doing to be killed by a crazy person! I call this a good day." She leaned in and gave Bran another kiss before they were interrupted by the nurse that was watching over Brans sessions.

"That was great Bran. How are your hips holding up?" Dany asked walking over to the love birds.

"They feel all right." He piped up. He still felt like a stupid child whenever he saw her. He had found out that she had asked to be transferred to the therapy unit when she had learned that Bran did not have cancer and no longer needed treatment. When he has asked her why she was so interested in his case she had answered that she liked him and thought of him as the little brother that she had never had, but always wanted.

He had replied that if she wanted him for a brother then she should marry one of his older brothers. He felt that she would make a good match for Jon and had even given her his Facebook info. He had asked her if she had looked into it and she had giggled and said that she had and liked what she saw.

"That is all for the day. I want to make a referral to the massage therapist and have them work on your lower body. You did a lot today and I am very proud of you." She was used to his episodes from when he was on the false chemo so she said nothing about his last vision.

"I think that that is a great idea." Meera piped in.

She wheeled him out of the office with the referral in her hand. She was the one who was so fanatical about his recovery and she was always there cheering him on with every improvement and telling him that it was okay when there was a setback.

He had not wanted to think about what it meant that he had a vision after not having one for so long. Bran was worried that this was a major setback in his recovery. He had wanted to be completely rid of them. He did not like knowing things that would come true in the feature. He felt robbed of the surprise of what life was going to bring.  


"Do you think that my vision means that my head is still messed up?" Bran asked once they were in her beat up car.

"No. I think that it is your gift and that you shouldn't bitch about it either." Meera chastised as they drove away from the hospital.

"I'm not bitching. I was just so happy to not have had a vision." He grumbled in the passenger seat.

"Look Bran they said that it would take a while your brain to heal its self. And you walked today. That means that you are healing. I never thought that your Sight had gone away. I know that you wished that it had, but it is part of who you are. I am sure that if you looked in your family tree you would find others who knew things that were going to happen. We looked into that and found that our grandmother and all the people on our father's side from her on had it. It is just what it is." Meera shrugged and drove the car to the Stark House.

When they arrived home Meera told Catelyn that Bran walked at therapy. His mother was so happy that she cried. It seemed to Bran that she cried a lot when it came to him.

"God mom it wasn't as if I ran or anything." Bran grumbled shoving his mother off him.

"But Bran you walked! That is amazing news. How do you feel?" She asked. Her mother's instinct took over and she placed a hand on his brow to check his temp.

"I am fine mother. I just want to go to the family room and watch a film with Meera."

"I am afraid that you can't do that. Sansa has Margaery in there watching Titanic. It appears that Joffery attacked her as well." Catelyn said with a wrinkle between her brows.

The news rocked Bran to the core. He should have used his gift to put him away for a longer time then what he had received from the trial with Sansa.

"When did it happen?" Bran demanded.

"Last summer. Now I want you to leave them alone. Go watch a movie in your room. I think that would be best for you. I will have popcorn and sodas taken to your room in a bit. Go on shoo. You deserve some rest dear." Catelyn kissed his brow and left them in the entry way of the house.

Meera and Bran went to his room in silence and they sat there and digested the news. Sitting in stunned silence was never something Meera did well so she stood and paced the room.

"I can't believe that he did that to Margaery and she didn't come forward when Sansa was at the trial. Her brother is the ADA who tried the little fucker for crying out loud." Meera said throwing her hands up.

"Some people just don't know how to handle difficult things like rape. Do not judge her too harshly." Bran said in a soothing voice.

"I just don't believe that we didn't know! With Jojen and you we should have known." She huffed.

"Let's pick a movie. We can't do anything for her. The only person who can help her is Sansa. How about The Fifth Element or Blade Runner?" Bran tried to change the subject. "We can cuddle. Come on. I'm getting in the bed. Its comfy with lots of pillows." He patted his bed and smiled at Meera.

She smiled back and sat on the bed next to him. She chose Blade Runner. Once the movie started they snuggled in for a good movie. Between the good bits and lots of making out and some heavy petting Bran decided that today had been a good day.

Arya

"I am so glad that we are flying home in the next few days. I don't want to drive back." Myrcella said as they sat waiting for the guys to set up in Winterfells ballroom. They had been given permission to host Jon's birthday party there. The band was going to be a hit and they all knew it.

"Me to. So did you get some use of the pink room?" Arya asked lifting her eyebrow.

"Well we had to finish what we started in the car." Myrcellas cheeks flamed pink.

"Gendry and I did too. But then he left in a hurry. He was a little prickly in fact. I don't know why."

"He has had a lot on his mind. You should cut him some slack."

Arya looked at her best friend and remembered she was her boyfriend's sister first. Family meant a lot to Myrcella. She would protect her family from anyone, even from the person who loved him. There was something that she felt that Myrcella knew that she was not telling and it bothered her that she didn't want to share with her. But Arya understood about family loyalty. She would rather be tortured then fail to keep a secret that her siblings had asked her to keep.

"I know. But he is hiding something from me and it is starting to make a strain on our relationship." Arya grumbled.

Myrcella was unable to reply when Arya and Myrcellas phone went off alerting them to texts. They were both from Sansa.

_Margaery was raped by Joffery last summer at Storms End. He was blackmailing her to date Sandor. I am helping her with the whole prosecuting the scum bag. Send her a text and give her your support. We no longer think she is a slut and home wrecker._

Arya looked at Myrcella. Again her brother was accused of raping someone and Arya had no doubt that he did attack Margaery. Her best friend looked sick and Arya waved Aegon over to them just in time. Myrcella threw up on the floor. Aegon shot Arya a look and she handed her phone to him. He read the text and started soothing Myrcella.

Gendry came over, phone in his hand.

"Did you hear? I just got a text from Sandor. Margaery was attacked by last year." He looked at his sister and Arya saw the concern all over his face for her.

"We heard. I had no clue. God poor Margaery. She had to walk around with that secret for a whole year." Arya shivered. Gendry put his arm around her and held her close.

"You fools done cuddling over there? We need to set up. Come on bitches!" Beric hollered from the stage.

"Can it you insensitive cunt. We just got some bad news from home." Arya shouted back.

The others rushed to the small group. Even her brothers were there to hear the news. When they all heard about what happened to Margaery there were a few ideas of dismemberment and Robb offered up a guy that he knew that was into flaying people. They let Aegon take Myrcella up to her room and calm down. The rest of them got to work setting up. Arya pitched in and they got the stage set up.

Later that night they got the house ready for the party. All the guys that the boys had grown up were all there as well as the ones from college. The independent record guy Sam was there. The guys were all nervous. Myrcella was sitting back stage with Arya. She had gotten over her shock and had called her uncle Tyrion. He had calmed her better then anyone with her could do.

"Are you doing okay?" Arya asked squeezing her hand.

"I think so. Tyrion reminded me that Joffery is not the only brother that I have and if I want I can cut him out, like my mother has done with him. I think I will do that. From now on Joffery is no longer my brother." Myrcella had conviction in her voice.

"Good for you. You don't need that drama in your life. But will you be there for Margaery?” Arya asked.

"Of course. I have known her for all of my life. I won't abandon her now." Myrcella said, again with a fierce protectiveness in her tone.

Gendry walked over to them. He looked scared and nervous. Arya stood and embraced him trying to give him strength to ease his fear.

"You will kick ass out there." Arya said giving him a kiss.

"I know we will. I just wanted a kiss before we start. Robb is going to introduce us soon." They looked and saw Robb bouncing on the balls of his feet holding the mick in his hand. Arya laughed as he sauntered out trying to make himself have a swagger that he so did not have.

"Ladies and gentleman we are all here tonight to celebrate the birth and life of my "older" brother Jon Stark!" The guests roared and clapped and a large man that Arya had never seen before patted him on the back hard enough to stagger him. "Now tonight we have some very special and very talented guys about to come up onstage. I am not saying that because if I didn't my sister Arya would hurt me or Jon would stick my head in a toilet for saying a bad word against these fellas. I am proud to present tonight's entertainment The Five Kings of Westeros!"

The crowd cheered despite the fact that they had never heard of the guys. Arya felt her stomach flip. It was nerves on behalf of her boyfriend, but also because some of the songs that she had helped write would be played tonight and would be heard by the record guy.

Beric was wooing the crowd over with his smooth words and his charming attitude. He told them their first song and the story behind it. The crowd loved it. Gendry struck the first notes and Arya felt the magical effect that a guitar had in making a man sexy. Beric started singing and the room was hushed. It was a slow burn song but once it got to the choirs they were all screaming and by the second choirs they were singing along with them. Arya was beaming with Myrcella with pride at their guys. If they could make it they could be the next big thing.

They played seven songs and announced that they were done. The crowd yelled for more. Demanding that they continue playing. They left the stage to wipe off the sweat and to chug down some water than hustled back onstage. They did one more original song. It was the one that Arya had been waiting for. It was the one that she had co-written. There was no introduction to this one, no cute story, just the song. The guys played it better then they had ever played it before. It was a story song. It was about a girl that was a sad nobody in a world of somebodies. She walked around in the shadows until one night the light gets thrown on her. She meets a guy. They explored the world and each other. But there is no happy ending to the song. He dies in a car crash coming over to see her on her birthday. The last haunting notes of the song hang over the ballroom like a haunting mistress. Then the applause broke out. It was like standing in front of a tidal wave. Arya had never experienced anything like it before. The band rushed off stage and high fived.

Gendry came and lifted Arya up and twirled her around. It was the biggest rush that she had ever felt. Her song had been a hit. The party loved it. Beric sang the words to perfection and Gendry and the boys played like they have been playing it for years. Arya grinned from ear to ear while Gendry set her back on her feet.

"They loved you! I am so turned on right now." Arya whisper yelled in her lover's ear.

He gave her a lopsided smile then was swept away by his band mates who gave a howl of pleasure at their kick ass show. Jon came back stage with a rather round guy behind him. She just thought that he was one of the party members but when he saw the guys he straightened his shoulders and a mantle of power settled over him. This must be Sam the independent record producer.

"That was one of the best shows that I have ever seen guys." Sam said in a soft voice. The band stopped it's marry making and turned to look at the unimposing man.

"Um yeah thanks." Beric said as the spokesperson of the group.

"I think that you guys are a very good gamble to bet on. I want to sign you as soon as humanly possible." He had his hands in his pockets and Arya suspected that if they were out of his pockets he would be wringing his hands together.

"That would be amazing. I would love that, I mean we would love that. Me and the guys." Beric stuttered.

"That would be freaking amazing!" Hot Pie shouted.

They all celebrated late into the night. For Jon, for the band and to forget the horrible things that were happening back home.

 


	36. Bang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in on day, crazy right. This new one was short so i could post it quickly. Also this helps me kick my writers block in the ass. Let me know what you all think.

Gendry

They had been given a contract on the night of the party. He was ecstatic. Everything was happening so fast and the label wanted the Five Kings. But being back down South had dimmed some of the magic. He had told his parents the good news and his father insisted that they have a lawyer look over the contract before they sign anything and see if there was a better offer out there for them. L.A. after all L.A. was a big place in the music business. So he and the guys were waiting to see what the lawyer had to say about the deal.

Jaqen was still a problem. He was still following Gendry. He knew that he was in a car three spaces behind him watching while Gendry waited for Arya to talk to Varys about selling some of her paintings. He had a zippo lighter that had his father's crest on it and he was flipping it opened and closed while he waited. For the last week he had not been able to go anywhere without Jaqen following him. To make matters worse to get his plan to work he had to rely on an unlikely ally and be a jerk to his loving girlfriend in public. He sat thinking that it would all be easier if Arya knew what was happening but he did not want her to know about it all until it was all over and done with. There was a tap on the window and Varys slid into the passenger seat.

"Your shadow is still following you. But I have it all under control. He will be out of the car in ten minutes and the cops are waiting around the corner to take him into custody if he shows any hostility. I hope you know what you are doing young Bull. I would be pained if anything happened to you. I have an interest in you now and I want you to succeed." Varys handed him a cigarette and left the car.

Part of the plan was to look like his morals were deteriorating. He had been putting on a good show of it. He had made sure that Jaqen had seen him "drinking" and driving. He had put iced tea in a whiskey bottle and had been taking long drinks from it. Hot Pie had been helping him with his image as well. He was bringing some of the groupies with him and they have been driving around without Arya all week since they had gotten back. He hadn't even touched one of the girls but he made a point to flirt, but had explained that he had a girlfriend that he was faithful to and that they were helping him put a bad guy in jail with their actions.

He hoped that standing outside smoking while Arya was inside doing business would be enough to tip the scale and have Jaqen do something rash. Gendry put the cigarette to his lips and flipped the lighter opened. He brought the flame to the tip and lit up. He took a drag and had to fight the urge to cough. If he coughed then this image would be destroyed. He was on his fifth puff when he heard a car door open and close and Jaqen walked over.

He had changed since Gendry had last seen him. His hair was now black and short and he no longer wore his artist clothing covered in paint and clay. He was in green pants with a black shirt. There was something wrong with his nose and he was missing a tooth. Gendry smiled knowing that he was the reason behind his face looking so different. But the biggest change was the animalistic look in Jaqen’s eye. It sent a shiver down Gendry’s spine.

"Waters this day has been a long time in the making. I have found you to be less then deserving of Arya and have come to take you out of the picture." A gun metalized in Jaqen’s hand and Gendry felt fear for the first time. He hoped that Varys had been telling the truth and the cops were on their way.

"I don't know what you mean." Gendry said as he flicked the cigarette away from him into the road. "What I do is none of your business and neither is Arya for that matter. She is mine and she will never be yours. Whatever you think I am doing is nothing more then the delusions of a psycho."

"You have been seen drinking and spending time with loose women. You are not good enough for Arya and once you are gone I will be there to help her mourn the loss of your stupid life. It's time to say goodbye Gendry." Jaqen lifted the gun aiming at Gendry’s heart.

_Where the hell are the cops?_ Gendry stood still like a deer caught in the headlights. Then there was a strike of blue and someone barreled into Jaqen. A shot went off and Gendry felt an intense burning in his right shoulder. He crumpled to the ground and he was aware of a scream coming from the door of the gallery where Arya was.

The world swayed and the ground felt like it was rolling in time with his heartbeat. He knew that he must have hit the ground hard and that his head connected with the concrete of the road. There was blood obscuring his vision and he felt the need to vomit. Things had not gone according to plan. He wasn't supposed to be shot. This was not what he had wanted.

"Gendry!" He heard her scream. She was at his side holding his head in her lap and was pressing down on his shoulder. There was a man in an EMS uniform there trying to get Arya to move away and let them work on him. But she wouldn't move.

He lifted his left arm and put a bloody hand on her face and she looked down at him.

"It was the only way love. I'm okay really. Now move away and let this good man do his work." His hand fell away and he passed out. But right before he was totally unconscious he heard the last remark from Arya.

"You are so STUPID Gendry. I love you, you are a dumb ass."

Arya

She sat in the waiting room of the hospital holding Helens hand and waiting for news from the doctor who had been working on Gendry. The shot had gotten lodged into his shoulder blade and they had to cut him opened to take it out. She was still seething that he had hidden the fact that Jaqen had apparently gone crazy and had been stalking them for some time. She had heard the whole thing from the cop that came to talk to Robert. He knew the whole story and had been helping his son and the police the whole time. Arya didn't know who had been maddest when they had been told this, herself or Helen.

The woman had punched Robert in the jaw so hard that he had a nice fist shaped bruise developing on his face. Arya had smiled at him while a nurse had given Helen an ice pack for her hand and had just walked away while Robert had whimpered in pain.

The doors to the operating room burst opened and the surgeon came out with a smile on his face. Arya let out the breath that she had not known that she was holding.

"Your son is fine Mrs. Baratheon. There was no permanent damage to his muscles or the bone. I suspect that Gendry will make a full recovery in six to eight weeks." The doctor smiled as Helen threw her arms around his neck and jumped like a girl half her age.

"Thank you doctor for the good news." Robert came and extracted Helen from around the doctor neck.

"Can we see him now?" Arya asked in a timid voice.

"You sure can. But don't stay to long. He is a little out of it. We had to put him under and the pain meds are strong." The doctor said as he watched Gendry’s parents kiss in the hall.

They were lead into a recovery room and Gendry was propped up on bed with a mountain of pillows around his right side.

"Hi beautiful." Gendry smiled and Arya giggled because he looked like Dopy with hair.

"Hi Stupid." Arya went and sat on the edge of the left side of the bed. His mother came into the room and started to shuffle around like a hen. Myrcella and Tommen came into the room with Robert. They had a large balloon thing to cheer up the room. They tried to talk normally and then Tommen had to bring up the unpleasantness regarding Jaqen.

"So the dick head was arrested. They threw him to the ground and he is all messed up." Tommen grinned from ear to ear, but no one in the room shared his glee.

"I'm just glad that he won't be around for a long time and that he won't hurt anyone again." Gendry said with a fierce voice.

Arya took his hand and squeezed it gently. Myrcella stood by his bed with her phone on video call so Aegon and the guys could say hi and see that he was alive. Beric made some comment about a Bull being tougher then a bullet. They all laughed and Arya smiled. They stayed the whole afternoon and then it was time to go. Arya lingered there after everyone left the room.

"What were you thinking?" She asked when everyone was gone.

"I was thinking that I had to keep you safe. He was following you first. I didn't want him to hurt you so I took one for the team." He slurred. She knew he was fighting sleep, but neither of them were ready let the other out of their sight.

"Is that supposed to make me not mad at you?" She demanded.

"I think that it might help. I took a bullet for you." He gave her a lopsided smile.

"Hum? What can I do to repay this great kindness?" Her hands went from his uninjured arm down his torso to the junction between his legs.

"Arya I'm hooked up to monitors. If my heart rate gets fast they will be coming in and check on me. We can't be doing this." He tried to push her hand away but she wouldn't stop her stroking and massaging.

"Well then keep calm and they won't come in and catch us." She smiled as she flipped the blanket from his lower half. Her mouth connected with his semi flaccid member and she began to work on it hearing the deep groans of pleasure. She snuck a look at the monitor and saw that his heart rate was indeed increasing with every stroke of her mouth.

"Oh gods Arya that feels so good." He was panting and holding onto the pillows with his good hand. It took her fifteen minutes of work till he finally got his release and she was pulling the blankets over his body when there was a knock on the door. Arya had pulled her chair up to his head and they looked innocent. The nurse shot a look between them and placed a food tray on the table by him. Arya was shooed out of the room when the nurse shot her a look that clearly said that she had to leave now. She gave him a quick kiss and told him to keep his phone on.

Sandor

Sandor had been sitting in the courtroom with Margaery and Sansa when he got the word that Gendry had been shot. He felt torn with the need to protect Sansa and Margaery from the events of the trial of Joffery's rape but he also wanted to go to his friend. He knew that today was the day that they finally got the creep Jaqen behind bars but he never suspected that Jaqen would go so far as to shoot Gendry. He didn't show Sansa the text knowing that it would scare her and that she had enough on her mind but his hope to spare her was dashed when she got a text from Arya.

"Oh my god. Gendry has been shot!" She whispered to Sandor and Margaery  beside her.

"What do you mean he was shot?" Margaery whispered back.

They were hearing testimony from a computer specialist for the defense that was trying to say that the video was a fake and that it was just really good computer rendering. Willis, who was second chair due to the fact that his sister was one of the victims was allowed to question the witness and he was laying into her about her knowledge of the field and then he had his own witness come up and refute all that the computer expert had said. It wasn't interesting so they felt safe to whisper together.

"I don't know. All Arya had said was that Gendry was shot by Jaqen. Sandor do you know anything about this?" Sansa looked at him and he knew that she knew that he knew what was going on.

"Jaqen has been stalking your sister and Gendry for some time now. The cops and the Baratheons had arranged that he be arrested today and I guess things didn't go as planned." He whispered quickly. He had agreed not to tell any of this to Sansa so she wouldn’t tell Arya.

The people in the row in front of them turned around and shot the three of them reproachful looks and they decided that they should leave the courtroom to finish their discussion.

"Jaqen has been stalking them! For how long? And does Arya know about this?" Sansa demanded as they were safely outside the court room away from the angry looks of the people in the gallery.

"As far as we know Jaqen has been following Arya since they first met. But then Gendry beat him up and that seems to be when he went off the deep end and started following Gendry. That's all I know. I swear Sansa. If it had been any real danger I would have told you and Arya. We never thought that Jaqen would go this far." Sandor hung his head in sadness. Margaery was on her phone calling Myrcella to see what Gendrys condition was. Sansa continued to lecture Sandor about how these lapses in communication are dangerous and not conducive to a start to a relationship.

"He is in surgery but they say that he is okay and that he should have the full use of his arm. He is going to be okay!" Margaery came skipping over to them and she hugged Sansa.

Then the doors burst opened and Loras came out of the room looking wildly around for his sister. It was her turn on the stand and Sansa gave her a hug for strength and Sandor gave her a hug as well and after Sansa nudged him in the back he gave her a small kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you Sandor and Sansa. I know that I wouldn't be here doing this if it had not been for you two." She squared her shoulders and walked into the courtroom. Margaery had asked that they not be in there so they sat waiting outside. She had said that seeing her brother there would make it hard enough, but seeing her friends would make her cry on the stand and she didn't want to do that.

Sansa and Sandor sat on a bench and waited for her to come back out of the courtroom. They waited for an hour. They called Arya and Myrcella several times to get updates on Gendry. Arya had stopped answering her phone but Myrcella said that he was out of surgery and that they had been in to visit him and that Arya had stayed behind. Sandor could imagine what Arya was doing to the poor drugged up Gendry.

The doors of the courtroom busted opened and Margaery was there standing triumphantly with her grandmother and her parents beside her. A look of pure happiness on her face. Sandor recognized that look. It was the same one that Sansa had worn when she had left the courtroom when the verdict of guilty had been called during her trial with Joffery.

"I did it. I even made some of the jury members cry. That bastard is going to go away for a long time and there is nothing that the Lannisters can do about it." Margaery said when she reached her friends.

"You are one of the bravest people I know." Sansa said as she embraced her friend and fellow "victim".

"I think that he won't be out until he is an old man and hopefully by that time he will be too old to get it up." Olenna said as they stood together.

"Mother is that any way to talk in front of such young people?" Margaery's mother looked at the three "children" then glanced at her husband.

"Um yes mother, I don't think that you should talk like that in front of the children.” Mace Tyrell gave a small cough and looked around the room.

"These children, as you like to call them, are more adult then you two dunder heads." Olenna said as she banged her cane on the ground. "Now you three should go and have a good day."

"Actually Grandmother one of our friends was shot today so we will be seeing him in the hospital." qMargery said to her grandmother. It was all matter of fact, like a friend being shot was nothing new. Her parents eyes widened. Olenna just looked amused.

"Oh well that is to bad. You all have fun. Shootings are tough to heal. I have experience with bullets. I have never been on the receiving end of a gun but I imagine that they hurt like hell." The good lady kissed her granddaughter and led her son and his wife out of the hallway.

"Is she always like that?" Sandor asked.

"Always." Margaery smiled after her family. "Now let's go see Gendry."

Bran

Meera was lounging in the pool on a floaty while the boys played water basketball. Bran was in the lead with the most baskets. He loved being in the pool. He was able to walk and move without falling and hurting himself. It was part of his new recovery regiment to work in the pool. He was able to walk without assistance longer now then he had been the week before and he knew that he was on the way to being fully able to use his lower body.

"Bran, Rickon! Your father and I have to go to the hospital. There has been a shooting and Arya and Gendry are involved." Catelyn's voice interrupted the boy's merriment.

"Is Arya okay?" Bran asked fearing the worst. That his vision had been false and that Jaqen had killed her or Gendry.

"Gendry has been shot in the shoulder. He should be alright. It was the boy Jaqen who shot Gendry. I never liked that boy. He was to shifty. I am so glad that your sister chose Gendry. Oh I can't imagine how Helen is taking this. Your father knew that something was going to happen today. Will you look after Rickon Bran?"

"Sure mom. You go comfort Helen." Bran shouted from the water.

"Dinner is inside." She called over her shoulder as she walked away from her younger children.

Bran looked over to Jojen who was in deep conversation with Meera. He knew that this was not how either he or Jojen had seen the event happening. Gendry was not supposed to be shot. They had always seen the cops getting there before he fired the gun.

"Meera I don't know what is happening. I am losing it. I told you so." Jojen held his head and started to cry.

"Joey it's okay. This is nothing that you could have prevented. You know that you don't always see the true turn of events. You knew that Jaqen would be arrested and that it would prevent Arya and Gendry’s death. That is the important part. You still have the sight." Meera stroked her brother's head and tried to comfort him.

"But I didn't see that he would be shot. I like Gendry. If I knew that he would have been hurt I would have told him to watch out. I would have warned him. And Bran never saw him fire either. It was always peaceful."

"But they changed things on us. They changed it all. Now there is nothing that we could have done. Calm down and relax. No one is dead and that is the important part of this." Meera soothed as Jojen cried deeply.

Bran and Rickon watched the interplay of the siblings. Rickon swam over to his brother.

"What is he talking about? You saw this happening?" Rickon asked in confusion.

"Since the tumor I have been able to see things Rickon. Jojen has the same infliction as I did. My visions have been less accurate then his. But we saw that something was going to happen with Jaqen and Gendry. But we never realized that it would be so fast." Bran tried to explain.

"You mean that you see things? Like an X-Man or something?" Rickon asked.

"Um yeah. I guess so." Bran said.

"That is so cool. I wish that I had that power." Rickon squinted his eyes and tried to move the pool table with his mind. "I'm not an X-Man. Bummer man." Rickon went and swam some laps in the pool.

Bran swam over to the Reeds and started to see what the siblings were talking about. He was scared that Jojen would go over the deep end. Bran knew that Jojen had been feeling inadequate about his visions lately but he never knew that Jojen had such bad feelings about how much he relied on his visions. Bran was worried that Jojen would be losing touch with reality. Things had gotten worse when Bran had started dating Meera and they had had to exclude Jojen a little to have time to make their relationship real. As Bran swam over to them he decided to break things off with Meera for the sake of his best friend. Jojen needed his sister. The thought of not spending lazy afternoons reading plays out loud together or watching movies and having kiss fights pained him, but the desperate look on Jojens face settled it for him. In order to save his friends sanity he would stop being Meeras boyfriend.

"It is alright Jojen. We all knew that Jaqen was loose cannon. There was always a gun in our visions. It was always a possibility. You have done nothing wrong." Bran tried to put authority in his voice to snap Jojen to reality.

"But we didn't see him firing the gun. We never saw it. Just like I never saw that you would lose your ability to walk or that Margaery or Sansa would be raped. I haven't seen anything that has been able to help people all year. If I can't help people what use are these visions?" Jojen demanded.

"Joey maybe it is time to stop trying to see. Just try to be a normal person. Get some friends and say yes when a girl asks you out. You can't help people if you keep yourself locked away from people." Meera stroked his head as it rested on the floaty.

"What do you know about this? You think having friends and a girlfriend will make it all go away? Bran did that and he isn't all better. If anything he is worse off because he doesn't want to see now. I want to see. You have poisoned him and his eyes are now closed. You have blinded him from his gift of seeing. You have poisoned me as well." Jojen shouted right in his sister's face. Meera was to shocked for words or for action when Jojen launched himself into the water and swan to the edge of the pool and vaulted out.

"Bran what is happening? Why is this happening now? Things were supposed to be better now. Now I have lost my brother and by the look in your eye I have lost you too." Meera drew her knees up on the floaty and started cry. Bran was torn between comforting his first love and going after his best friend.

He swam to her and pulled the floaty over to the side of the pool. He helped her out of the pool and held her as she cried. Part of Bran knew Jojen was right, he didn’t want to see visions anymore. He wanted a normal life. He wanted to run cross country again, get good grades and make the final moves with Meera. Now he knew what he wanted he thought about his friend. He wanted that for Jojen. Meera cried on his shoulder and he rubbed small circles on her back and thought about it all.

Myrcella

Myrcella warily settled into her bed. So much had happened today. One of her brothers was all but convicted to prison for the rest of his life and the other had been shot. That had been one of the worst experiences she had ever lived thorough. Seeing Gendry and Arya coming into the hospital covered in blood, watching as the medical team swarmed around them and then take Gendry away without any idea of what was going to happen to him. She felt powerless and she hated that.

It didn’t help that she was still getting sick when she saw blood, thought of her not brother or ate something slimy. She was tired and sore but she stood with her family to learn what was happened to her brother. When they were told Gendry was safe she felt a happiness well in her, only to be dampened when her cell rang after they left Gendry’s room.

Then she had gotten called from her uncle Tyrion that Joffery was as good as convicted after the jury viewed the video and heard Margaery's testimony about the rape and that Joffery threatened and blackmailed her. Myrcella had little love for Joffery after all that he had done but it still hurt her to see what he had become. If only they had lived in a house full of love like it was now. Her mother was sick and destroyed everything she touched.

The family had gotten backstop the house. There was a tension in them all, but they were relieved. The Starks were there with her parents and the four adults walked to talk in Roberts study. Tommen was with Rickon, probably playing their video game. She had told Aegon she was tired and was emotionally worn out from the events of the day. He had offered to come to her but she had wanted to be alone.

Myrcella walked into her bathroom and turned on the taps of her shower. There was a little amount of blood on her arm from where Arya had clung to her while waiting on word from Grendy. She showered and let the warm water sooth the muscles that were bunched in her back. She sagged in the shower and let it all wash over her. School wasn’t hard, but the people there were hard to be around. If she had not had her friends or boyfriend around her she wouldn’t have been able to do it. Ballet classes were becoming more challenging, she had a performance in two weeks and had to get ready for, but Aegon distracted her so she wasn’t as good at it.

She turned off the water and stepped out of the bathroom. Then her phone was ringing. She rushed to it expecting it to be Aegon to tell her goodnight and that he loved her before she went to bed, but it was an unknown number.

"Hello?" She asked into the phone.

"Hello little bitch." Jofferys voice was like ice and she wanted to scream.

"What do you want?" She barked. She desperately wanted to hang up the phone but didn't. No matter what happened to him and his soul he was her brother.

"I hear that your darling new brother was shot. That he almost died. Pity that he didn't. I have the pleasure of sharing my cell with his accused shooter. He is one crafty person."

Her body was colder then it should have been.

"Why are you calling me?" She whispered.

"My lawyer was able to get them to let me call my dear family to say goodbye. There appears to be no way that I can get out of this. I will be thrown in jail." Joffery gave a high pitched laugh that sent shivers down Myrcellas spine. "But I think with my new bff here I won't be in prison as long as everyone thinks. That's why I am calling little sister. It's a warning. One of these days we will be there for you and all those who stole out lives. You will pay for this and pay dearly. Sleep well darling sis. I hope that you have pleasant dreams." His laughter filled her ears and she could see him holding the phone while he laughed. His eyes glowing from hatred and his madness.

She dropped the phone and didn’t know what to do. Why did all the shit seem to rain don on her. She staggered to the bathroom and emptied her stomach into the toilet. It was just to much.

 


	37. Prom

Myrcella

Fear was the new constant in her life. She lived in fear that her brother would make true of his threat that he would escape. The worst shock was when the family had been at the trial for Jaqen for shooting Gendry. She had sat beside her father and the creep had looked right at her and winked. She remembered all to well that he was now plotting with Joffery to do unthinkable things together. Myrcella had not told any of her friends or family. Aegon had noticed that there was something wrong, but she had not told him the cause of her worry. She had shrugged it off as end of the school year nerves.

Three weeks passed and nothing had happened since the trial that put Jaqen in jail and she had started to forget that Joffery had made his threat. She was dress shopping with Sansa, Arya and Margaery for prom. They had each found dresses that they loved. Myrcella's dress was a gold and green ball gown that was almost to wide at the bottom to make it through doorways. When Myrcella had tried it on in the dressing room she had to have Arya push her and the other two pull her. The four girls had collapsed in a heap of taffeta and tool.

"Cella if you can't even make it out of the door of the dressing room how in the hell are you going to make it out of the limo?" Arya asked between pants of laughter.

"I don't know but I want to find out." She had answered.

Arya had a steel grey slinky dress with some crystal work along the hips and the neck. Sansa had a jet black decorated with purple and green ribbons woven all over it with feathers on the breasts. Margaery had a teal long sleeved dress that hugged her curves and had a small train attached. All the girls had an amazing time shopping; Myrcella didn't even remember to be afraid.

It wasn't till she got home and saw that there was a letter waiting for her with no return address that she remembered to be scared. She took the envelope and opened it with shaking hands. Inside there was a photo of the girls at the dress shop smiling and laughing then there was a single page of paper that had a note scrolled across it.

_I will return, so I hope that you enjoyed the day. Treasure the moments you have left with your friends. –JL_

She picked up the picture and noticed that there were circles around Sansa and Arya. Myrcella was so absorbed in her fear that she didn't notice that Gendry had come up behind her and looked at the picture over her shoulder.

"That's a great snap shot. Was the dress shopping fun?" The look on his sister's face stopped him in his tracks.

Gendry looked at the picture more closely and then looked and saw the note. Upon reading it Gendry bellowed for his father and Robert came running into the entryway as fast as his large form allowed. Gendry handed him the note and the picture. One look at the two things in front of him and Robert snarled under his breath then set a comforting hand on Myrcellas shoulder and turned her to look at him.

"Cella what is this about? Has Joffery been in contact with you before this?" Roberts's voice was soothing and full of love. It seemed to crack the dam that was holding all her fears back. She told her father everything. She told him about the phone call that she had from Joffery and the wink that Jaqen had given her and now the letter. Once she was finished with her tale Robert asked Helen to take her into the kitchen and give her toddy for medicinal reasons and then he and Gendry went into his study.

Once the steaming mug of liquid was placed in front of her she took a sip and felt the calming effects of the drink spread inside her. The taste was not something she liked so she asked for tea. Helen made her a new cup of mint tea and it was much better. She sat huddled in the chair and tried to remember how to breath. She wanted to have Argon there to comfort her. She looked up and saw Helen looking at her with worry and love. She had always wanted her mother to look at her like that, but she never had. That thought along with the fear that she had been living with caused her to break down and cry as if her life was ending.

Helen came around and slipped her arms around the girl and she held her as she let all her misery and fear seep out of her. After a few minutes she felt as if she had cried it all out of her. All the bitterness and resentment and guilt and everything that had been bothering her had come out of her eyes. Helen might not be her mother but if Myrcella closed her eyes she could pretend that this woman was her mother.

"It's okay Myrcella." Helen smoothed her hair and hugged her tight. "Nothing is going to happen to you. There is nothing that you should worry about." She pulled back and looked the girl in the eye. "Your father and I will not let anything happen to this family. You children will always be safe for as long as there is breath in my body. I love you Myrcella and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for you." Helen drew Myrcella into her embrace again and then both women broke down crying.

After they had both dried their eyes they sat in silence.

"You are more of a mom to me in the few months that you have been with my father then the woman who gave birth to me ever was." Myrcella said as she and Helen sat there waiting to hear from her father and Gendry.

"If things had happened right I would have had you. I would like it if I could have been your mother. I would have been proud to have a daughter like you. You are strong and brave."

"Can I call you mom?" Myrcella asked in a hoarse voice.

"You sure can sweet heart." Helen took her daughters hand.

Gendry

After he and Robert had discovered what Joffery had been doing from jail to harass Myrcella they had stormed into Roberts study and then Robert had called the prison that Joffery was housed in. Robert demanded to know what they were thinking allowing Joffery to call and threaten his child. The warden had assured Robert that Joffery was not bothering anyone. Then Robert demanded to know who was in the cell with Joffery. He had been told that he was not privileged to know this information. Robert had hollered and raged at the poor man on the phone. Gendry had been on his cell and had been texting with Tyrion. Once Robert started calling the warden a piece of Lannister shit Gendry had leaned across his father's desk and clicked off the call.

"Dad I think we should call Tyrion. He has been texting with me and he says that he knows people in the jail that could get to the bottom of this mess. I think that we should not tell the Starks about this. Prom is tomorrow and I don't want the girls all worked up. I will call Aegon and have him talk to Myrcella. He will calm her down and things will be alright. The best thing to do is to go on with our lives. Joff is in jail. There is really nothing that he can do behind bars."

"Son sometimes I am to hot headed for my own good. You are a good man, much better then I am. Thank god that you are more you mothers son then mine." Robert placed his big meaty hand on his sons shoulder. They stood there in understanding.

They made their way to the kitchen and Gendry smiled at his mother and sister cooking together. He had a family and nothing was going to break it apart. One thing that he learned when he had been shot was that there were some things worth dying for. His Arya was one of them. He decided to call her. He walked out of the back door out into the yard and took out his phone. He sent a text to Aegon saying Myrcella needed him but not to tell her that Gendry had told him to come over then he called Arya.

He waited for her to pick up and when he heard her voice he let out the breath that he was holding.

"Hey sexy. I was just thinking about you. I am standing here all alone in my room with nothing on but silk underwear."

He could close his eyes and see her standing there in her room in nothing but silk underwear.

"I'm thinking about you, but I have all my clothing on. I just called to hear your voice. I miss you. Want to go up to our spot and watch the sun set with me?"

"Sure. I would love that. I will put something on and meet you at my front door."

"I will be there soon. I love you."

"Love you too."

He hung up the phone and went in and told his parents where he was going. His mother kissed his forehead and he left the house. In his car he fiddled with his radio. There was no good music on so he switched it off. He drove to Aryas house and she was there waiting for him with a blanket tucked under her arms. She slid into the passenger seat and gave him a kiss on the lips and then kissed his injured arm. He still had three more weeks then he would be out of the sling. They drove up to their spot. He parked the car and they got out and spread the blanket on the ground. Arya went over to the car and took her iPod out of the car and turned on the song Hero by Family of the Year. They she settled down on the ground.

"Whenever I hear this song I think of you. I think you guys should do a cover of it and I think that you should sing it. I love it when you sing to me. It should go on your record, you know now that everything has been finalized and everything." Arya said stroking on Gendrys hair as he rested his head in her lap.

"I can't sing my love. That's why we have Beric. He sings, I play. It's how we do things." He chuckled from her lap.

"That's bull shit. You are a great singer. I want you to sing me a song. You sound like that guy Phillip Phillips. You have the same deep sexy voice as him."

"You think some other guy is sexy? Even after I took a bullet for you?" He joked.

Arya glared and smacked him.

"Don't remind me that you were shot. I still haven't forgiven you for being shot." Arya huffed.

They settled back to watch the sun sink into the sea. As the stars came out Gendry thought about what she had said. He should sing her a song for her, but the question was what should he sing? Then it hit him. The perfect tong to sing. He sat up and took out his phone then scrolled around on the internet until he found what he wanted. Arya was looking at him strangely.

The opening cords of Bob Segers song We've Got Tonight started playing and he started singing along

_I know it's late, I know you're weary_ _  
_I know your plans don't include me_  
_Still here we are, both of us lonely_  
_Longing for shelter from all that we see_  
_Why should we worry, no one will care girl_  
_Look at the stars so far away_  
_We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?_  
_got tonight babe, why don't you stay?__

_Deep in my soul, I've been so lonely_ _  
_All of my hopes, fading away_  
_I've longed for love, like everyone else does_  
_I know I'll keep searching, even after today_  
_So there it is girl, I've said it all now_  
_And here we are babe, what do you say?_  
_We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?_  
_We've got tonight babe_  
_Why don't you stay?__

_I know it's late, I know you're weary_ _  
_I know your plans don't include me_  
_Still here we are, both of us lonely__

_We've got tonight, who needs tomorrow?_ _  
_Let's make it last, let's find a way_  
_Turn out the light, come take my hand now_  
_We've got tonight babe_  
_Why don't you stay?_  
_Why don't you stay?__

When the last note of the music ended Gendry opened his eyes. He didn't even remember closing them. He looked at Arya and a strange idea took shape in his head. He acted on impulse. He reached out and took her hand in his and looked deep into her eyes and let the feelings he felt bubble out of him in words.

"Arya I know that we are young and I know that we have our whole lives ahead of us, but I know that if my life isn't with you then it won't be as good as living it alone. We both have things that we want from this life but I want to be with you to do them all. It's crazy and scary but I am asking you to spend the rest of your life with me. Is there any way that you would want to do that with me?" He asked that she would say something, anything, but she just sat there. "Arya say something."

"Did you just ask me to marry you?"

Gendry blushed.

"Um, yeah I guess that I did. But I don't want to make it official until we are older, like when you are 21 or something. I just love you and I don't want to have this, you and me end."

Arya was silent for a moment then slid over to Gendry. She wrapped his legs around his waist and then she kissed him. They stayed there for a while and then they broke apart. Arya hugged Gendry to her and he was afraid of what she was going to say.

When she lifted her head there were tears on her cheek.

"I love you too. I would be happy to marry you when we are older." She kissed him softly.

Gendry smiled and used his good arm to bend her head and softly kiss her.

"So are you ready for prom tomorrow?" Gendry asked.

"I sure am. Did Myrcella tell you about getting our dresses? Myrcella had to be pushed out of the door of the dressing room." Arya laughed.

It was time to go home. Arya insisted that she get a good night sleep for "beauty reasons." So Gendry drove her home. They lingered in the car giving each other soft kisses and then after ten minutes of this she reluctantly scooted out of the car and walked into the house.

Gendry smiled the whole way home. He knew that everything that he never knew he wanted was coming true. His band was going to make an album, he had a real family and he was with the girl of his dreams. Life was good.

Bran

He had told Meera that he would still go with her to the prom and that they could still go out, but he had to spend more time with Jojen. After his freak out in the pool they had been on rocky ground. The worst part was when Jojen had thought that if he had a traumatic head injury then his visions would come back. So he had gotten on a bike and rode it down a hill without a helmet and crashed it so that he would fall on his head. He had almost broken his spine and it had caused both Bran and Meera to yell at him for almost a month. While Jojen was in the hospital he said that he had  _seen_  something and that it was like old times, so he was happy. He wouldn't tell them what it was, and they were glad that he wasn't being so doom and gloom all the time.

"You were acting like a bitch pal. I wanted to slap you with my fist." Bran told Jojen as they sat in his best friend's room. Pink Floyd was blasting out of the stereo and they passed a joint between the two of them.

"You should have. I wouldn't have had to drive my bike down that hill and I would still have some skin on my fucking side." Jojen laughed as he patted his bandages.

"Yeah that would have been better. You made me hurt your sister, I should kill you for that. I love her man. You almost messed things up." Bran said for the third time in an hour.

"I know man. I fucked up. I know that you love her and I feel like an ass for being a dick to you both. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You weren't thinking ass. All you were thinking of is yourself. I know that you were freaking out about losing your sight. But come on dude how could you have thought that me being with your sister was fucking your head up?"

"I don't know. I was just an ass. I want to say I'm sorry and that I was a bad friend."

"Hey say sorry to your sister. You still haven't said sorry to her in the right way. You should give her some flowers or something."

"Yeah. So are you taking her to the dance?" Jojen asked?

"Yeah. You can come too."

"No man. That is okay. You need to be with my sis alone. I know that you guys are in a relationship and I would just be getting in the way. I think that we should just finish this smoke and that will make me brave enough to say sorry to my sister."

The two boys finished the pot and then Jojen went off to find his sister. Bran sat on the bed and then let his mind go all over the place. He was thinking about what it would be like to fly as high as a raven that lived at Winterfell. He was enjoying floating when he was pounced upon. Meera was there kissing him and he was he didn't know if he was being kissed by her or someone with green hair and red skin.

"Bran you are so amazing. You got him to apologize. He was so high and I couldn't stop laughing. I think that he even started to cry at the end."

Bran was laughing and then they were kissing on the bed.

"Hey guys don't kiss on my bed. I think you have your own bed Meera." Jojen grumbled as he walked to his desk chair and sat down heavily.

"So what was it that you saw in the hospital that put you in such a chipper mood?" Meera asked.

"I saw prom. Things will be eventful. But I am not telling you what happens. It will be a big thing and I think that you should not know what is going on." Jojen started to twirl around in the chair and sway to the music.

"He is so far gone we won't get anything from him now. Want to come to my room and make out?" Meera asked.

Bran tried to stand up but he was not able to. He had been able to walk for the last two weeks now, but every now and again his legs would go numb and he would not be able to move his legs. He had not told his friends and family this yet so he closed his eyes and pretended to have passed out. Meera shook him and then he started to have feeling in his legs.

"Okay, okay I am up. Stop poking me." Bran grumbled. "Take it slow. I just learned how to walk."

"You relearned. There is a difference." Meera huffed as she took his hand and pulled him to his feet.

"You two have funnnn." Jojen sang as they left the room. Bran and Meera shut the door to his room and made their way to her room and commenced with cuddling and making out.

"Bran do you think he was really sorry for his outburst? I mean he had said that he was sorry before and I mean I had said that I was okay with his out freak, hell I even forgave him for trying to make you pick between me and him. But then I was so mad when he got in his wreck. I refuse to call it an accident, he did it intentionally. I was not totally forgiven him for that. But then tonight he came in here and said that he was sorry. He was sincere and I believe that he meant that."

"He did mean it. He is sorry for how he acted. I think that he was just to stressed about everything that is why he was not able to  _see_ anything. I don't think that the hit to the head was the cause to him being able to  _see_ again. I think that it was him being under the sedation and the rest that made them come again. He was just over doing it trying you know?" Bran nuzzled his face into his girlfriend's chest. "I haven't apologized you know. I was an ass and I still am. You have been the best and I have been a jerk. I asked my dad some advice on how to make up for being a dick to the girl of your dreams and he said to get her something that she would have forever, so I got you something. Something shiny and pretty."

Bran pulled out a charm bracelet with a frog, the comedy/tragedy theater faces, a wolf and a pair of roller skates.

"What do you think? Am I forgiven for my jerkiness?" Bran asked as he put it on her wrist.

"Bran this is amazing. I love it. I am always going to wear this for as long as I live." Meera kissed Bran and for the first time he could feel it all the way to the tips of his toes. He was stupid and he was dumb, but he had an amazing girl and that made him want to be a better person.

"I love you Meera. I do."

"I love you to Bran." They drifted off to sleep wrapped together.

Arya

Last night had been the best day of her life. Things had not gone as she had expected since she had moved south. Her life had taken on a totally different path then her wildest dreams could have imagined. Arya sat in the makeup chair and let the salon girl work on her hair and make-up while she contemplated things. She had friends; she was friends with her sister even. She had been able to take art and become a grease monkey. But the best thing that had happened to her was that she was in love. She had found the other part of herself that she never knew was missing. Arya smiled again thinking about her big bull of a boyfriend. She had been listening to  _We've Got Tonight_ on her iPod all day long and she couldn't stop smiling.

"Alright I'm sick of seeing you smile for no reason. Out with it Arya what is making you so damn happy. I know it's not from getting your nails and hair done. I know that it has to have something to do with Gendry. He is the only one that makes you that happy. So what did the world's best boyfriend to this time? Did he learn some new amazing trick for making you go all jellyfish during sex?" Margaery asked looking at Arya from across the salon.

"Please don't tell us if it is a sex thing. He is my brother and I don't want to think about that." Myrcella said from the chair next to Arya.

"It's nothing like that. We just had a good time last night, and we didn't even get naked to do it. We just watched the sunset and he sang. That's all." Arya blushed.

"I don't think that's all. You always make that face when you have more to tell." Sansa said while the salon girl worked on her nails.

"Well what ever happened last night is something that I am not ready to share with you all yet." Arya grumbled. She felt like a dragon protecting a treasure and there was nothing that these girls could do to make her change her mind. They tried but then gave up and started in on making fun of Margaery  for going to prom with Hot Pie.

"He really has changed in the last few months. He is more confidant. And we are just going as friends. I couldn't be with a guy like that, not now." Some of the glitter in her eye leaked away. Sansa and she shared a look of sisterhood.

"He has lost a lot of weight in the last few weeks. Like thirty pounds. That's amazing." Myrcella said, now having her hair done.

"The bands followers have been good for his self-esteem. They have made him see himself differently." Arya said and she allowed fake lashes to be applied to her lids.

"I think that you are done girls. You all are perfect. Now scoot along home and put those dresses on and have fun at the dance." The lady who owned the salon that they were at ordered once they all had their hair was sprayed one last time.

"Who would have thought that we had been in there since nine this morning? It's nearly four in the afternoon!" Arya exclaimed looking at the time for the first time all day.

"It takes a long time to look beautiful. Now stop complaining and get into my car little sister." Sansa called from the door of her Mini. Arya walked over and slid into the backseat. The girls were getting ready at the Starks and the boys were at the Red Keep. When she had texted Gendry he had said that they were playing Game of Thrones, that stupid game Rickon loved. He had converted all the guys into playing it now. They were in the middle of an epic battle at some place called the Trident and Gendry was winning. Then he had told her to leave them alone, they had important things to do. That was fine with her. If they wanted to have the wrath of her sister and friends descend upon them for being late that was their business. Games were not as important as this stupid dance. They would be seeing who the king and queen were going to be. That was what mattered.

While Gendry had been in recovery his bandmates had plastered the school with VOTE GENDRY FOR PROM KING posters. There was no way that he wouldn't get it, unless Sansa got her way. Then she and Sandor would be king and queen together. Her sister had campaigned for the two of them as the schools power couple and she was sure that she would win and along with her Sandor as well. They would just have to wait and see.

They reached the house and Helen and Catelyn were waiting for the girls with Meera and Beric's girlfriend. Sansa held the seat and door for Arya as she slid out of the back. The two women shepherded the girls into the house and into the livingroom where all their dresses were hanging.

"You girls are late. Now Helen will take you three and help you into your dresses and I have you three." Catelyn waved Myrcella, Arya and Meera to Helen and took the other three for her. They had the hardest time getting Myrcella into her giant poufy dress without messing up her make-up. Arya also had a hard time. Super clingy was not easy to get over hair that was intricately woven into a stylish do. After an hour of cursing, yelling, and laughing all the teen girls were in their dresses and waiting for their men. Robert and Ned came into the house and said that the boys and the limo would be here soon.

"Girls onto the stairs. Line up." Catelyn ordered. The girls rolled their eyes and lined up so that the mothers could take pictures and the fathers could pretend not to cry over their grown up daughters without being noticed. As soon as the pictures were taken the boys came striding in.

Sandor was first. For some reason he was in a white tux with a purple and green waist coat. Arya even saw white feathers in his jacket pocket. Sansa had made them match! Aegon, Hot Pie, Thoros, and Beric were in classic black and white tuxes. Then last to come into the door was Gendry. He was in a charcoal grey suit like her dress and had a black shirt. He also had a cane and top hat to complete the outfit. Arya laughed at the sight of him. He came up to her and literally swept her off her feet. Then he twirled her around when his father called out "That will do son."

Arya was giggling and happy. The whole group posed for pictures. Margery was with Thoros and Hot Pie. They were all arm in arm. Bran stood shifting from one foot to the other next Meera as Catelyn wiped tears from her eyes. Sandor and Sansa allowed themselves to be posed; they didn't want to stop looking at each other. Last were herself and Gendry. They made dorky faces at the camera and were yelled at by their mothers. It was six when they left the house. They had decided to go to the diner for dinner.

Just as Arya had predicted they had a hell of a time getting Myrcella and her dress into the car. She had to go in last and she took up the whole back seat of the limo. Aegon was completely lost in the poof of the dress.

The girls had table cloths draped over their dresses so they didn't get anything messy on them. The boys were told no French fry fights. They laughed and ate and were in high spirits as they made their way to prom. Arya kept her hand in Gendry the whole time they were together. It had made eating dinner hard, but it was worth it, even if Gendry only had one hand to hold at the moment. She had ended up feeding him in the end. After the meal they piled back into the limo, pushing Myrcella back into the vehicle.

Laughter filled the limo and Arya felt drunk, despite the fact no one had had a drop of liquor. They were all just high on the night, of the happiness and being with each other. Tonight was going to be perfect.

Sandor

The guys had spent the day fighting battles with others in the land of the Game of Thrones. He was the most vicious fighter of the group. They all had been laughing and fighting and swearing when Ned and Robert came into the game room and told the boys that they needed to get ready for prom. They had huffed and grumbled but complied when they told them that the girls were going to have their balls in a vice if they didn't dress. They had half an hour to go before they were supposed to meet their ladies.

They arrived and Sandor felt like a fool in his white tux, but Sansa had insisted that he be in white. He wanted to be in black, like the others. But he had caved to Sansa's wishes. When he had entered the Stark house and saw all the girls, no ladies, standing on the stairs his eyes swept over the mass of them to find his Lady. Sansa was there third step from the bottom. He hurried over to her and took her in his arms.

"Don't you dare wrinkle me Sandor. I want to look nice for at least an hour or so. You will have enough time with me in your arms at the dance." Sansa had said as he tried to embrace her.

"Oh very well." Sandor murmured into her ear. "When will I be seeing you without this dress on?"

Sansa blushed and they had been called to attention to have their pictures taken. Once the pictures were taken they all filed out in pairs, except Hot Pie, Thoros and Margery. Originally Hot Pie was going to be Margery's only date, but Thoros' had canceled at the last moment, making the duo a trio. They had a hell of a time getting Myrcellas and her dress into the limo. The girls pulled and Aegon and Gendry pushed. But they finally made it all into the limo. Dinner at their Diner was a blast. It was so funny seeing Arya feed Gendry. She managed smear his whole face with mustard. They employed the same technique of getting Myrcella into the car then out again when they arrived at the hotel that Prom was being held.

"Sansa I have something to tell you. You look amazing." Sandor said as he fastened the corsage of purple and green lilies onto her wrist. It even had black feathers mixed in.

"Oh Sandor this is beautiful." She stood on tip toes and kissed him in the doorway to the ballroom.

Their group made an entrance and was met with shouts and cries from their friends already there. Sandor's football buddies came and joked with him for a while. Things had been so relaxed at school without Joffery there to fuck things up for everyone. There were now no sides, everyone was friends. It was great. Sandor was happy for the first time since his mother had been alive. The music had started and their group was in the center of the writhing, jumping dancing mob of people. Life was good.

Sansa was dancing with Margery and Arya to a totally girly pop song so the guys were sitting out. The guys were deinking punch and telling funny stories together. Hot Pie came over and handed Sandor some punch.

"If I drink this and it spills I will be killed by Sansa. Punch pink would not go with Sansa's dress." Sandor said with grave seriousness.

"Oh well then man you are going to die of thirst." Hot Pie said taking a swig of his punch.

"Ladies and Gentlemen it is now time to announce the King and Queen of this years PROM!" The principle yelled once the song had ended.

Sansa hurried over to Sandor and held his hand. He knew that she wanted them to be king and queen together. He had a feeling that it would be she and Gendry. His friend had blasted in popularity after he was shot. He couldn't grudge him the crown, he just hoped that Sansa didn't take it to hard when Gendrys name was announced.

"Now let me introduce you to the man who will announce who this year's royals are. Put your hands together for our very own Mr. Baratheon!"

The kids cheered. Renly was the best teacher to announce the winners. He walked onto stage and he was in a jester's costume. Two people came on stage with the crowns. One was Loras, Margaery's brother and the other was unbelievably Tyrion Lannister. The crowd laughed. Loras was in a dress like Queen Elizabeth I wore, complete with neck ruff and red wig. Tyrion was dressed as Batman. The whole gathering thought this was the funniest thing they had ever seen.

"Well I am your humble Jester and these two fools are my helpers." Renly said with a flourish of his arm to indicate the two men beside him. "Now it is my privilege to announce who the king and queen are. The envelope for Queen, please Batman."

Tyrion handed over an envelope over. Sansa held her breath. Her hands were crushing Sandors.

"And the new Queen of Kings Landing High is," Renly flipped opened the flap, drew out the page and smiled. "Sansa Stark!" Renly yelled out her name and Sansa let out her breath. Sandor gave her a kiss before she made her way to the stage to get her crown. Tyrion made a show of trying to reach her head with the crown, the crowd was laughing. In the end Sansa had bent down and the small man had placed it on her head. He had whispered something in her ear and she had laughed. Sandor couldn't take his eyes off of her. She looked like she belonged to have a crown on her head. He wished that she could be a Queen in life, not just for the dance.

"You are a beautiful queen Sansa. Would you like to know who your king is?" Renly asked.

"Yes I would." Sansa said into the mine.

"Then would Queen Elizabeth be so kind as to hand me the envelope?" Renly asked Loras.

Loras handed the envelope over and then skidded out of the spotlight on the stage.

"Our king is," again Renly paused to add suspense. "None other then my nephew Gendry Baratheon." The ballroom erupted in wild cheers. Sansas shoulders slumped. Gendry walked up on stage to shots and cheers of his name being chanted.

Gendry walked to the mike before Loras could place the crown on his head.

"Um, I think that there has been a mistake. You see I came with another and she is my true Queen. It would be wrong to be standing up here with Sansa. I abdicate the crown to Sandor." Gendry said and the spotlight found Sandor. He was hard to miss in his white suit.

Renly was beaming and calling for Sandor. Soon the chant was taken up by all in the room. Arya shoved Sandor and he started moving to the stage. He put one foot on the step then another. Soon he found himself next to Sansa and she threw her arms around his neck and was kissing him.

"I knew that it would be us." She winked.

"You knew that this is what was going to happen?" Sandor asked.

"Well I had a feeling. That's why I insisted on you being in white. It made you easy to find in the crowd." She kissed him again and shoved him to Loras to get his crown.

The crown hovered over his brow, everything was going to be perfect, but then it all turned to ashes and hell.

"What a sweet display. The Dog is about to become king to his bitch queen." Joffery's voice bleed across the loud speakers of the ballroom. Everyone froze. From the back of the room Joffery stood with a mike. He was in a gold suit. He had a walking stick with him. Jaqen stood next to him in a suit of black on one side and white on the other.

He walked further into the room and stopped.

"You didn't think that I would miss my senior prom now did you?" Jofferys eyes sparkled manically. "Now I will let everyone go except for those who have wronged me, you know who you are. If you do not wish to die I suggest that you get out. Otherwise you will share the same fate as them." And he pointed to Sansa and Sandor.

When he had heard that whiney voice Sandor had reached out and found Sansa. He had pulled her behind him. Gendry and the other guys of their group have started to edge the girls to the stage. They knew that this was what they had been waiting for. Things had been going to well. They should have known that they had not seen the last of the two villains.

"What do you want Joffery?" Sandor demanded.

"I want you all to pay." Joffery said. "And so does my friend here. Waters took something from him so he is here to finish what they started. I simply want your pain."

Even from across a ballroom in pandemonium of bodies scrambling to the exits they had a clear view of Joffery. It took less time then you would think for the ball room to empty.

"Joffery the police are on their way. You are done." Tyrion said hobbling up to the edge of the stage.

"See uncle that's where you are wrong. You are done." And with that Joffery lifted his arm and a gun was there. He took aim and shot. Tyrion crumbled. The rest of the people in the room hid and took cover.

Sandor pushed Sansa behind the podium. He tried to leave her side, he had to stop Joffery but Sansa clutched his hand.

"Don't go. You can't leave me. He has a gun, he's going to kill you!" She yelled.

"I won't be hurt. I have to stop him once and for all!" Sandor said back. He pulled her to him and kissed her before standing and walking to the center of the stage. The others were trying to save Tyrion. He had taken the bullet in the abdomen and he was bleeding all over. Myrcellas puffy dress was in tatters as they had ripped it apart to use to apply pressure to her uncles wound.

"Joffery you chicken shit. Shooting an unarmed man is just the cheap thing that you would do. Why don't you come fight me like a man. No guns just us." Sandor bellowed from the stage. All his rage and hate gave him strength and power.

"Now what fun would that be for me? You are much bigger then I am. What do you think Jaqen?" Joffery turned to his companion.

"I say shoot him in the arm. That should even things up a bit." Jaqen sounded crazy as he watched Gendry AMD Arya like a lion stalking his pray.

"Good thinking." Joffrey said with a smile.

Before Sandor could move he felt the impact of the burning hot bullet burrow into his shoulder. He heard the boom of the gun and Sansa’s scream. He turned and saw Bran and Margaery holding her back. Sandor shook off the pain and jumped down to the floor.

"Come on Lannister. Let's dance." He shouted at Joffery. He saw fear flash across the worm's arrogant face. "Throw the gun down and come at me you mother fucker!" Sandor shouted maliciously.

Joffery walked over him and they circled. Sandor threw the first hit, but it was from his injured side and it hurt him. He cried out in pain and Joffery took the opportunity to hit him in the face. Sandor brought his good arm up and took ahold of Joffery's hair. He brought his knee up and it made contact with Joffery's face. He then let go of his hair and hit him in the side of the head with his fist. Joffery went down and didn't get back up. Sandor sagged to the floor. Blood loss was making him dizzy. He knew enough about the human body to know that his excelerated heart hate was pumping the blood out of his body faster then normal. He fell to his knees. He couldn't breathe. He looked down his chest. There was a large spot of red blossoming on his chest. He had thought that he had been hit in the shoulder. He was wrong.

Grendy

While Sandor was fighting with Joffery in the center of the floor Jaqen had edged to the bottom of the stairs. He took one predatory step up but Gendry stood there to block him.

"I put you in jail. How did you get out?" Gendry asked.

Jaqen laughter filled the room. "It was easy. The warden was a weak man. He and the guards on duty tonight looked the other way for some money, making it around the city had been easy as well. I blend in very well. And Joffery is afraid of me." Jaqen place another foot on the steps.

"Get your foot off the steps." Gendry growled.

"I have come for what is mine." His eyes flicked to Arya. Gendry resisted the urge to look behind him to her. He had left her with Hot Pie. He would make sure she didn't do anything foolish.

"She is not yours. Get that into your head!" Gendry yelled. He kicked his foot out and hit Jaqen on the chin. They both tumbled to the ground. Jaqen took advantage of the situation of Gendry’s hurt arm and got his arm around Gendry’s neck. He started to squeeze. Gendry started thrashing, trying to dislodge Jaqen from on top of him.

He couldn’t dislodge the arm. Jaqen was stronger then he had imagined. He tried to talk, to fight. He had to save Arya. If he failed the son of a bitch would be free to do what ever he wanted. Gendry had no fear for himself but it was all for her. He somehow was able to punch Jaqen in the side of the head. The pressure relented.

“You wont win.” Gendry panted. He tried to scoot away, but Jaqen hit him in his healing shoulder. Jaqen had changed position from laying behind him to kneeling on his chest with his hands around his throat.

"Like I said, you are not good enough for her. As long as you are not in the picture I will have her." Jaqen whispered, their faces so close Gendry felt hot breath on his cheek. Then he felt the sensation of skin pressed to skin. "You know once you are gone I am going to enjoy having her cry out for you when I take her." Gendry’s vision was going in and out. He couldn't get his breath, he was not sure he could feel. He thought he felt a press of lips to his forehead. As the world faded to black he heard a shot. Then he was floating in nothingness.

Arya

All she knew was that she had to get to Gendry. She had fought hard against her friends to get to them. She had hit Thoros in the knee dislocating it and was sure that she had broken Hot Pies nose, but she didn't care. Jaqen was going to kill him. She saw what he was going to do it when he had looked at her. When he had said that he had come for her. She would not let Gendry die, not if she could help it.

As soon as she was free of the others she ran to the edge of the stage and vaulted off of it. Sansa was next to Sandor sobbing, but Arya didn't stop to comfort her sister or see what the matter was. What she wanted was on the floor in the forgotten spotlight. The gun was lying there calling out to her. She skidded to a halt and slipped on the ground. She gathered her dress and the gun up and scrambled to her feet.

Arya flew to the base of the stairs and saw Jaqen with his hands around Gendry’s neck. She had no idea how long they had been that way. Seven minutes and it could be to late. She prayed that she still had time. She heard the last thing that Jaqen said to Gendry, she watched the thrashing of her love finally stop.

"You know once you are gone I am going to enjoy having her cry out for you when I take her." She watched Jaqen kiss Gendry on the cheek. That was to much. Arya held the gun out in front of her, took aim and fired. The shot reverberated with in her whole body, it boomed around the room. She was thrown backwards. Then the doors burst open and cops swarmed in.

Bronn hurried to Sansa and her father entered with Robert on his heels. She watched with numb detachment as the two men raced to her and Gendry. She was delirious.

"Arya! Arya. Oh god there is so much blood. Arya are you okay, is this yours?" Ned yelled shaking her shoulders.

"I shot him daddy. I shot him. He is dead, daddy. Oh god he is dead." Arya sobbed as she held her father. She was sure that Gendry was dead. She didn't want to live if he was dead. She choked on her sobs.

"Robert is he?" Ned called.

"The boy? Yes he is." Then Arya fainted.

Bran

Bodies, all he saw were bodies. One in a bag, one in cuffs, one connected to wires trying to keep his heart going, one being forced to breath. Things had started out good. Then they had unraveled quickly. Death, fear and despair saturated the air. They had revived Arya, escorted Sansa out to get the blood off her. Taken Tyrion to surgery. They were all in the waiting room of the hospital.

Arya was sitting with Gendry holding his hand. The doctors had tried to keep the guy in a recovery bed but he had snarled at them, all his crushed voice box would allow and then stalked out of the room to find Arya. She had been sitting with Sansa while the doctors worked on Sandor. Myrcella sat waiting on word of her uncle. He was also in surgery. None of Sandors family had come to the hospital. They were all the guy had. And none of the other Lannisters were there.

Cersie had showed up drunk and raging. Joffery had been taken to the same hospital as the others. Sandor had knocked him out and they were worried about a concussion.

"Which one of you hurt my son!" She had screamed at them all in the waiting for results on their loved ones.

"Miss Lannister your son was the aggressor here." Detective Bronn said. He had decided to wait with the others for news.

That was when Cersie went from crazy to insane! She somehow found the strength to wreck the room. They had to sedate her and put her in restraints. It was a truly horrific end to a horrible night.

"I saw this coming." Jojen said as he slipped into the seat next to Bran and his sister.

"You saw this and didn't say anything?" Bran demanded.

"I knew that noting would have changed anything. This would have happened no matter what. They are going to be gone now forever. It had to happen." Jojen shrugged.

The other two looked at him in horror. He sat there as if nothing had happened. As if Sandor was not fighting for his life, as if Gendry had not come back from the dead, as if Arya had not killed a man. Something was wrong, but it had nothing to do with Brans old worries. This one was new and it was all centered on Jojen. He stood and pulled Meera with him.

They started walking around the hall. Bran thought that now was the best time as ever.

"Meera I think there is something wrong with Jojen. He never used to have this disregard for human life. I think he is becoming detached from himself and us. He spends to much time in his own head trying to see."

"I know Bran. I have seen that in him too. I don't know what to do. I am scared, but after everything that has happened tonight I can't think about him." Meera snuggled her way into Brans arms. At that moment the doors to the OR opened and they all turned to hear the news.

"Tyrion is okay. We were able to stop the bleeding. He will live." The doctor said. Myrcella gave a small sob of relief. Then Sansa was standing beside the doctor.

"What about Sandor?"

"They are still working on him. It doesn't look good. They had to restart his heart once already. That is all I know. I was not on the team working on him. I was with Tyrion. He is up in the ICU if anyone cares to see him." The doctor made a hasty retreat. He couldn't stand the look on Sansa’s  face any more then the rest of them could.

Myrcella

Myrcella and Aegon went to the ICU where her uncle was. He was attached to many different monitors and they were beeping and jumping. The most shocking thing was that he was awake. She rushed to his side and grasped his hand in hers. She cried and told him about everything that had happened.

"I'm going to sue my sister and father for creating that creepy little fuck. I am going to make sure that the fuck is buried in such a deep hole that he never sees the light of day again." Tyrion seethed once she had told him what happened once he was shot. "Poor Arya. It is not easy to take another person's life. I feel for the girl."

"Mother was here. She got it into her head that Joff was the victim. They had to sedate her and restrain her to a bed. She tried to scratch Sansa's eyes out when she has said that Joff was an animal and deserved to rot in hell."

"Sansa is a brave girl to stand up to your mother. So Sandor is still in surgery? And how is Gendry?"

Aegon took up talking now.

"Sandor is still in surgery. Gendry was revived. He was dead for a whole five minutes. No heartbeat, no breath, nothing. The paramedics revived him. He is in the waiting room. He almost blooded an orderly when they said that he couldn't wait with us on news of you and Sandor. Arya looked ready to kill anyone that separated them, but she wanted to be with Sansa. They only let him go because his mother was with him. He has to stay here for a week. He needs a surgery on his shoulder, but won't go till Sandor is out."

Tyrion rubbed his face with his hand. He looked so tired and Myrcella told him so. She kissed her uncle and said that she would be back in a few hours after he had slept some. As they were leaving they saw him slide into sleep.

Once in the hall the strength that Myrcella had been using to carry her seeped away. She slipped into a seat and Aegon fell to his knees in front of her, worry etched on his face.

"Are you alright Cella?"

"I hope now it is the end." She whispered and gave him a sad smile. She was so tired, so tired. Her stomach rolled and she fought the urge to vomit. She had done so twice already. Her dress bodic was feeling tight, she just wanted out of the ruined dress. Aegon pressed cool hand on her head and rubbed his thumb on her cheek.

"It will be my love. It will be." Then he kissed her and for one moment the world was forgotten.

Sansa

Sansa had paced the waiting room with news of Sandor for the last three hours. One hour ago they had been told that they were almost done and that someone would tell her once they were done. Then the doors burst opened. A doctor stood there. Sansa noted that there was a small amount of blood on his shoes.

"Are you the family of Sandor Clegane?" The doctor looked at Sansa. She nodded her head.

"He is my boyfriend." She said.

"He is in recovery, but he is in a medically induced coma. We want him to sleep for a few days."

"Can I go to him?" She asked.

"You are family?" He asked.

"We had talked about getting married in the next year." She lied. "I guess you could say I am his finance."

"Good enough for me. Come on then."

Sansa followed. They entered a small room with glass walls so that no matter what Sandor could be watched.

"There was a rip in his ventricle. The bullet nicked it and he almost died. But I have never seen anyone who wanted to live so badly. But now that I know he had you waiting for him, it makes sense. Love is a powerful thing. I think it would help him if you talk to him or hold his hand." The doctor said.

Sansa didn't need to be told twice. She took the chair next to her loves bed and took his hand in hers. It was so warm in hers. She felt like she was made of ice and she was now starting to thaw now that she was with Sandor.

"I told the doctor a lie." She said out loud. "I told him that we were going to be married next year. I wish that it was true. You are the only thing that I want. I was going to tell you that when school ends this year and we go off to college in the fall I was going to go to the one you went to. I haven't decided on where yet." She stroked his hand and arm hoping that she was helping.

"Arya killed Jaqen. She shot him in the head. I don't know what they will do to her. I am scared to be honest. Father and detective Bronn say that she was acting in defense of another but I know that she would have done it no matter what. She hated him for what he did to Gendry. He died you know. And from what they tell me so did you." She rested her head on his hand and then kissed it. "Don't ever do that again Sandor. Don't you dare die without telling me first." She then leaned up kissed his head and scooted the chair closer. She put her head on their conjoined hands and closed her eyes.

She was barley aware of someone putting a blanket around her. She was so tired. She fell asleep and dreamed of the king and queen dance that she and Sandor should have had at their prom.


	38. Goodbye To The Pain

Bran

Things with Jojen were getting out of hand. Four days had passed since The Prom From Hell and his best friend was happy and chipper about having  _seen_  what had happened. He wouldn't stop talking about it. Bran had tried to tell him that he didn't want to hear it any more, that he had lived it. That he had been there to watch his sister blow away someone that she had at one time had felt something for. He had been there to watch the life slip away from three people who he had grown to care for. But Jojen would not shut up about what he had known was going to happen and his questions to see how close his vision had come to reality were really starting to wear down Brans self-control.

"And then I  _saw_  Arya take up the gun and stumble over to the stairs where Gendry and Jaqen were and aim and shoot him. His head just blew and went flying all over her and the wall and then he fell. His brain had leaked out of his head onto the floor. That is when your father and the cops had burst in and then my vision had gone black. I have never  _seen_  anything so clearly before." Jojen said from his seat beside Bran in the theater.

"I was there and Meera and I have both asked you to shut the fuck up about it. So if I were you I would do that or I will be forced to punch you in the face to get you to shut the hell up." Bran was getting to the point of breaking. If Jojen said one more thing he would do something he would regret.

"Yeah, yeah I know. Your friends and sisters were in danger. I get it." Jojen smiled to himself.

"If you had known that we all were in danger why the hell didn't you say something? Why didn't you try and stop it from happening? You could have. The old you would have done that. This new you is a real prick." Bran said in a loud enough voice that the people three rows in front of them turned to glare at them. Bran had the urge to flip them all off but didn't.

"If I would have said something then the whole thing would have been canceled and Joffery and Jaqen wouldn't have been stopped. I did what I thought was right." Jojen said angrily.

"Well you sure fucked up, you know that right? Gendry, Sandor and Tyrion almost died. My sister became a murder. Meera can hardly stand to be around you. If this is what you are like at school I don't even want to know what you are like when you are home and there is no buffer for her to hide behind. You are sick."

"She is never home now. She's with you at your house and I have got the feeling that you two don't want me around." Jojen said looking straight ahead.

It hit Bran then that his friend was calling out for help with his questions. He wanted attention, but he wasn't getting any so he was being a dick so he would be getting some kind of attention.

"I'm sorry Jojen. But prom shook us all. I know you saw what happened but you weren't there. The worst part of this all is that Meera and I know that you knew that it was going to happen, but did nothing. We know you were doing what you thought was right, but it was wrong. We had a right to know. People were hurt, people died. You could have prevented it all." Bran stood then and walked over to Renly who was directing the actors on stage.

"Bran I know that you are still raw from prom, but could you not interrupts my rehearsal?" Renly sounded tired and not as happy as he usually did.

"Sorry Sir. I was wondering if I could cut class a little and go for a run before I hurt someone?"

"Jojen being an ass? I have noticed that he and Meera were having a hard time being around each other. I see his sister is not the only one who is tired of him." Renly looked out at the audience to Jojens seat. Bran followed his gaze and spotted his friend sitting with his eyes closed and a blank look on his face.

"I really need to go for a run now sir. I haven't been able to for so long. I need to clear my head."

Renly nodded and Bran took that as his permission to leave early. He exited the theater and headed for the locker room. He put on his running gear and walked out to the track. No one was out there. He stretched and did some warm ups. He started out slow, enjoying the feel of his legs carrying him. He had missed running the most. When he had thought that he would never be able to walk again he had mourned the loss of running the most. He did five slow laps then let his feet go faster and faster around the track.

His mind was blank and he was feeling what his body was doing. He felt his muscles flexing in his legs, reveled in the slap of his feet on the ground. He was on his tenth lap when he was shot from his body. He knew he was having a vision, but he had not had one since his surgery. He was unprepared for it. He collapsed on the track. He didn't know how long he had been there but he came to when the bell rang.

He sat up and knew that he was in pain. He looked at the right side, the side he had fallen on, and it was peppered with scrapes. He gingerly got to his feet and walked to the locker room. He stripped out of his gear and walked into one of the shower stalls. The water stung his arm, leg and face. But that was not what he was thinking about. His mind was on what he had  _seen_.

_He was at a wedding and everyone there was happy and smiling. His sisters were there and happy, dancing to The Five Kings. Gendry was whole and Sandor was talking to Ned. Myrcella was fixing Tommen and Rickons suits; they had spilled punch oh themselves. Jon was there with Dany the nurse and they glided on the dance floor. Robert and Helen were sitting at a long table with Catelyn and they were laughing with Renly. Everything was happy, everything was good. Then the vision had left him._

Bran didn't know what was going on, but he knew someone had been married and everything was well. He had never  _seen_ anything that happy before. Every time he had seen bad things to come for his friends and family. But this time everything seemed to be working out well. Bran got out of the shower, dressed and went in search for Jojen. He found him in the cafeteria eating lunch. Bran took the seat across from him.

"Bran what happened to you?"

"I fell while running on the track. But that's not the important thing. Jojen I just  _saw_  something. But it was different. Nothing bad happened. Everyone was happy and whole and nothing bad happened. I have never really seen anything like this before. What does it mean?"

"It means that what happened at prom was meant to happen so that the future could be happy for us all. It had to happen that way or that happy ending you saw would not have been possible. Now do you see why I didn't say anything? I saw two outcomes from the prom. One where I let things happen and one where I didn't. You are lucky you didn't see what the future would have been if I had told. Joffery would have been at that wedding and everyone, and I mean everyone would have died. Arya would have been taken and by the end of the night she would have wished she would have died along with your family and Gendry. Bran I wanted to tell you, but I knew if I had we all would have died." Then Jojen stood up and walked out of the room. Bran followed and found him in an empty classroom.

Jojen was crying. Bran knew that he had been carrying this weight of knowing that no matter what he did someone would be dead; someone's life would have been changed. So he had made a choice. Bran saw that now. He saw what Jojen had done. He had saved them all. Bran went to his friend and hugged him.

"I understand now Jojen. I understand." Bran hugged his friend and he held him while he cried.

"I just didn't want to see you all dead. This way was hard, but you all lived. The only ones gone are the bad guys. We won." Jojen said when he finally stopped crying.

"We sure did, thanks to you. Now let's go find Meera and tell her what a hero her brother is." Bran threw his arm around Jojens shoulder and they went in search for Meera.

Sandor

The first thing he saw once they took his out of the induced coma was the breath taking face of the girl that he loved. He didn't know if it was the drugs of if it was just her but the light was shining in her hair making it look like a halo of fire and her eyes were so clear and full of tears. He watched as the first one escaped the well of her eye and watched it make tracks down her pale face. He watched it until it reached her red lips and all he could think about was that he had not kissed her in so long. He reached up his hand and swiped the tear away. She pressed his hand to her cheek and then gave it a small brush of her lips. It was only after that contact that he realized that people had been talking to him.

"Sandor, can you hear me? Sandor can you look over here?" A doctor was asking and holding one of those pen lights out. He tore his gaze off Sansa and finally looked at the doctor. He did as the doctor had asked; he followed the pen with his eyes and then let them take his vitals. The doctor was pleased with his breathing and the sound of his heart. Then he was asked some stupid questions.

"Do you remember what happened? Why you are in the hospital?"

Sandor just looked at the doctor with a dumb founded look on his face and said the only thing that he could think of.

"I was shot. Please tell me that you didn't wake me up just to find out that I was shot." His voice was gruff and unused. Sansa gave a small smile and squeezed his hand.

"Well we know that you had been shot, we just wanted to know if you know." The doctor stuttered and looked down at the chart. "I want you to know the extent of your injuries. You had to have open heart surgery and we repaired one of your ventricles. You lost a large amount of blood and we were afraid that you would have some damage to your head from the blow that you revived. But it appears that the swelling has gone down in your brain and that you are healing remarkably for someone who died." The doctor tried to be bright and cherry, but Sandor was having none of that. He just wanted to be alone with Sansa.

"Well I am so happy that I am doing alright. Now if you don't mind I would like a few moments alone with my girlfriend." He gave the doctor a look that had in the past sent people running for the hills. Beside him Sansa was smiling at the doctor, but her eyes held an intensity that matched his own. The doctor said they could have ten minutes but then the nurse would be in to check the bandages.

"How long have I been out?"

"Four days. They first said you would have to be under for a week, but you are a fast healer so they say." She brushed a kiss on the scarred side if his face then another on the whole side, then gave him a soft kiss on the lips. His hands tried to reach her and wind into her hair but he was attached to tubes and monitors. He lay in the bed and was passive in body, but his mouth devoured her.

They broke apart and Sansa chuckled.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you really need to brush your teeth."

"You try dying, being revived and then forced into a coma for four days and tell me if your breath doesn't stink. Now get up on this bed and press that body to me. I can't move yet." He pulled the thin blanked up and she slid in next to him. "Tell me what happened."

She told him about again about what had happened that night, but this time he was awake and could ask questions.

"So the worm still lives. Shit. But with this they have more then enough to put him away for a long time. Two counts of attempted murder, escape from prison and those are just two of them. I am sure they will find more things to tack on." Sandor stroked her arm. "How are Gendry and Arya? She really shot Jaqen in the head?"

"She did. She was more worried with Jaqen killing Gendry then anything else. I don't think she has really processed that she had killed someone yet. He has two days left in the hospital. They had to give him a surgery on his shoulder. He refused to let them do it until he knew that you were going to live. He also died. He flat lined for five minutes. Jaqen had really killed him. If the paramedics had not gotten there as soon as they did he would be dead now."

"Maybe we should become roommates while we are both here, since we both died and all." Sandor said.

"I am pissed at you, you know. If you had stayed with me you wouldn't have died." She said in a small voice.

"If I had stayed there he would have been able to hurt you or Myrcella or Margery. I couldn't let him come closer to you then he had been. All I wanted to do was protect you, so that's what I did. I will always be there to protect you. Forever."

"Good. I was hoping you would say something like that. I told the doctors that we are engaged so they would let me stay with you. Since you seem to think that we will be together forever I guess I wasn't a lie after all."

"I would give my life for you and have. Of course I will marry you. When I get out of here I will go ask your father for his blessing and then once we graduate we can announce it to the world." He kissed the top of her head.

Just then the nurse came in. Sansa sat up and slid off the bed, looking sheepish.

"If this had been the first time I have seen you doing that Sansa I would think you could look like you have been caught, but now I expect to see you sleeping up there with him. Now Sandor I need to look at the incision on your chest. It will be your first time seeing what they had to do to you. It is a very long cut that they had to make, so be ready. I'm Dany by the way, and I have been taking care of you while you were out."

She walked over to the bed and her hands were encased in purple gloves. Sandor had some kind of recognition to the name, but he was having a hard time placing it. He looked at Sansa in question.

"She was Bran’s nurse when we thought he had cancer. She is the one that Robb and Jon and Theon got their dander up over. Sorry Dany for saying it like that." Sansa looked over at the nurse while she worked on making the removal of the tape on Sandor’s chest not hurt to much when she removed it.

"It's okay. I know what you were getting at. How are your brothers? I am a hopeless gossip and this is the first time that I have heard you really speak in four days." She had taken the bandage off and Sandor looked down at his chest. There was a long line from his breast bone to the end of his ribs. It was held together by staples. His chest hadn't hurt until he looked at it, but now it really hurt. He sucked in his breath.

"Sandor what is it?" Sansa asked seeing him in pain.

"He is finally realizing he hurts. You had kept him in a love bubble and nothing could touch him but now he feels. I can get you something for the pain. Let me just replace the bandages. Sansa if you gossip it will help keep his mind off things." Dany nodded and went about her work.

"Um, Robb has a girlfriend now. She seems nice. Theon is going to South America over the summer, to do what I don't know. Jon seems to be doing okay, but he is distracted. I think there is something going on with him, but he won't tell any of us. He has been great with Arya, but he is just not as happy as he usually is."

"I think I know what is going on with Jon’" Dany said without looking up from her work. "We sort of started to email and chat when we met when Bran was in treatment. He wanted to meet but things never worked out for us. School and work you know. So I told him that we should take a break until we got to see each other in person. That was a month ago. But he will be up for your graduation so I will be able to see him then and we can see if we can have a go at being a couple." Dany had kept her head down the whole time she talked and Sansa and Sandor had watched the top of her head with their mouths opened.

"You mean that you are, well were, dating my brother and you didn't say anything? I have been here for four days and not one word that you were Jon's girlfriend. I know Jon keeps things close to his chest but he would have told Arya he was seeing someone, and she would have told me. I…I am speechless." Sansa said.

Dany looked up once her task was done, stripped off her gloves and looked at Sandor. Her face was a mask of professionalism.  

"How are you feeling now? Still in pain? I will go get you some medication now." She walked out of the room and then Sandor gave a bark of laughter, but quickly fell back on the bed in pain.

"Who would have imagined that Jon had a secret girlfriend?" He said.

"I am texting this to Arya. She has to know and get to the bottom of this." She took out her phone and Sandor watched her type into it. He smiled to himself that no matter what happens the Starks always looked out for each other, and by the grace of god he was going to marry into the family. He chuckled at the fact that Sansa had forgotten that they were going to be engaged. She looked up from her phone and saw his smile.

"I know what you are thinking. You think that I have already forgotten that you and I are engaged, but I have had four days to know this and you are just now hearing about it. This thing with Jon is new. You get to adjust to the idea while I sick Arya on Jon. This is just the distraction she needs. If I wasn't so worried about her I wouldn't be doing this. But she is my sister and things have been tough for her and she needs a distraction." Sansa had not meant to sound defensive, but that's how she felt when he looked at her liked that.

"I was just thinking about what have I gotten myself into. You Starks are a loyal lot and I have just said I would marry into it all. That's all. Honest." Sandor smiled and he forgot that there was a large wound on his chest or that he was in pain. All he could feel was love. Sansa smiled and slid back to the bed and kissed him.

"I love you Sandor. I really do."

"I love you to my little Vixen."

They stretched in the bed looking at the celling. Sandor felt at peace and he was happy, despite a near death experience. He felt Sansa's phone vibrate in her pocket. He knew it was a text from Arya so he didn't mind her talking to Sansa. Sansa sat up abruptly and looked at her phone and then to him and back to her phone. She slid off the bed and stood there beside him for a few seconds.

"Sandor I have to go. Something is going on. Arya needs me." She turned to leave but he called back to her.

"Sansa what is it? Is it Gendry?"

"I don't know. The text wasn't from her it was from Jon. All he says is that I have to go find Arya. I will let you know what is going on soon. Your cell is beside your bed. I will text you soon." She walked to the door then stopped and took one last look at him. "I love you." Then she was gone.

Myrcella

Her life kept shifting and turning faster then she could have imagined. With everything that had happened to her this year she was able to cope with. It had made her ready to face everything that had happened in the last four days very well. She had split her time between her uncle and her brother. Sitting with Arya beside Gendry when he had come out of surgery and then as the only member of the family to be there with Tyrion. Her uncle Jamie had stopped once to see him, but Myrcella would not let him into the room. She had stood her ground and barred the door from him. The confrontation still caused her some discomfort; it made her realize that the Lannister part of her family was dead to her. Except Tyrion, but he had been dead to the rest of them for so long that they agreed it was alright.

Jamie had come up to see Tyrion on the third day he had been in the hospital. She had come to give Helen and Arya a change of clothes and had stopped off to see her uncle before going home.

Jamie had stood in the doorway watching the two of them going over her government book, their heads bent over the book so they had not seen him yet. He had cleared his throat and Myrcella looked up.

"Tyrion, I came as soon as I was able." Jamie had started taking a step into the room.

"Three days after the fact that he had been shot, by your son I might add." Myrcella had stood up and blocked the two brother's view of each other. Earlier in the week Tyrion had made her vow that she wouldn't let any of them see him, not till he was whole and off the pain meds. She was keeping that vow now.

"How dare you Myrcella. I have had to do damage control and make sure your mother didn't do something stupid. Now move aside and let me talk to my brother." He had walked further into the room, but she had not moved.

"If you take one more step into this room I am calling security. You are not wanted here Jamie. I suggest you leave." He had looked around her to see Tyrion had turned as far away from them as his wounds would allow. Jamie took a step back. There were tears in his eyes. At the sight of the tears Myrcellas resolve wavered, but she held firm. "Let's talk in the hall uncle. There are something's I want to ask you and a sick room is not the place to get the answers."

Jamie walked out and then collapsed in one of the hard plastic chairs in the hallway.

"Why doesn't he want to see me?" Jamie whispered once she had taken the seat beside him.

"He knows that in the eyes of the rest of the family he isn't a real member of it and he is just now realizing that you, the one who he had loved above the rest, is nothing but a tool. Used by your sister and father. You are three days late in coming uncle." Her voice was steady, despite the emotions she was feeling. The rage, sadness and fear warred inside her as she looked at him. Her hormones were going crazy and her body was still in shock over all that had happened.

"But he is my little brother. I love him." Jamie whispered.

"But not as much as you love my mother, not as much as you fear the disapproval of your father. He knows where he rates in the Lannister family. What I do not understand is why you still go along with them, when they are clearly monsters." Myrcella tried to make her speech with a strong voice, not to let her emotions overpower her. She was after all talking about her mother and grandfather.

"How can you say that? She is your mother. She loves you Cella. And father is proud of you. We all love you." Her uncle lifted his hand and slipped a strand of hair behind her ear. She batted his hand away.

"I had said I have some questions, and I want honest questions. The first one is why? Why did you and mother create Joffery? He is evil uncle. He is everything twisted and evil, and don't you dare try to defend him. I lived as his punching bag for sixteen years. I knew what he was. How could you fuck your own sister and create such an evil and twisted creature?" She had not meant to be so harsh or cruel, but she needed the answer. Part of her feared that if her mother could make one evil child, maybe she and Tommen could be evil in part as well.

"Cella, Joffery was a mistake. The night that he was conceived was a little more then one year into her marriage to your father. They had gotten in a fight and she had been scared. I had been drunk that night and things just happened. It was an accident."

"That's a lie. You and I know that she knew what she was doing. When I was little I used to think that she was something amazing. But then when she left there was a weight lifted from the Keep. She and Joff had been a sickness and it wasn't until they were gone was I finally able to see her for what she truly was. You need to get away from her Jamie. She is a disease and she will kill you unless you break away like I did." She looked at him with putty and tried to show him her words were true, no matter how painful they might sound.

Jamie sat in the chair and cried. She had not meant to cause him such pain, but she loved her uncle. All the memories from her childhood that she had of him came to the forefront of her mind.

"She is not the only one who can love you Uncle. Tyrion and I love you and we want you to love yourself." She took his hand in hers and they sat without saying anything for a long time.

"I used to wish that you were my child. Not Joff. You are right; I knew what he was, even when he was small. He is twisted. I fucked my twin sister and our union made a sick child. How can I live my life with knowing I fathered a monster with my sister?" He sounded so lost, so alone as he asked her his question.

"You will never be able to forget it, but you must get away and try to live the life you want, not the one other wants you to live." She kissed her uncles cheek and walked back into Tyrion's room to the quiet sobs of Jamie behind her. She had told Tyrion what they discussed and he was proud of her for breaking through to Jamie. The next day, the fourth everyone had been in the hospital, Jamie came back. He had a bag with him and he had said he wanted to say goodbye to her and Tyrion.

"I thought over everything you said, and I looked back at my life and you were right Myrcella. I cut you out of my life Tyrion, because Cerise and father never loved you and they thought that if you felt unloved you would die. But I did love you and you are alive. I want you to know that no matter what I do or where I go you will always be my brother." Jamie and Tyrion hugged, they both cried then Tyrion said his goodbye.

"I love you too Jamie and I hope that where ever you end up you find happiness."

Next he came to stand in front of Myrcella.

"You are more like your father then I had expected, but I am glad for that. He has made you strong in ways we Lannister’s never will be. I love you Cella." He hugged her to him and kissed the top of his head.

She was crying when she told him she loved him. And she made him promise that he would let her know where he ended up. He told them he was thinking of Alaska. Somewhere cold, so his father and Cersei wouldn't follow. Tyrion made a remark that without him there for Joff's trial Cersei would be even more crazy then normal. Jamie looked at him for a moment.

"You know what, for the first time in my whole life I don't give a fuck about Cersei. You two take care of each other. I will call you when I get to where I end up." And with that Jamie Lannister walked away to start his life.

Arya

Life used to be black and white. Her life in her home up North had been in black and white. She was the invisible child of Catelyn and Eddard Stark Then she had moved with her family South and she had discovered color. At first it was pale, muted and she had felt like an outsider, then things started to become clear. With each new person she met and let into her life she stopped being the invisible girl. She stopped living in black and white and started living in color, pale as they were. Then Gendry happened. He had showed her that the world was bright and vibrant and showed her that she was wanted and loved. If you had asked her if that was something she had expected to happen in her lifetime she would have said no. But it had happened and she was awake for the first time in her life. But that had all been cracked when Gendry had been shot. There were imperfections in the new reality now. She realized that Gendry would have been fine if it had not been for her. She thought him being shot was the worst thing that could have happened to him.

Then prom happened and she watched the man that she loved, the man that she lived for die. She had gone numb. She had felt nothing at first, but then Jaqen had turned with Gendry’s limp body in his arms and smiled at her. Her emptiness had dissolved into a fire. It did not burn hot, it was cold and it caused her to pick up the gun from the floor, take aim at his head and squeeze the trigger. She had felt no remorse as she did it. She had felt no sorrow or pity. The only thing she felt was a small amount of regret that she had ended Jaqen’s life to fast for him to get what he deserved for killing Gendry. Then the doors had burst open.

The gun had still been hot in her hand and her father was there and she was in his arms. She had refused to leave until they had Gendry on a stretcher and in an ambulance. She had pawned her father off on Sansa and he had gone to her willingly. Arya had stayed with Robert and in that moment of mutual fear they had held onto each other in the back if the ambulance as they watched as the rescue crew bring Gendry back from the brink of death.

As he lay limp and lifeless before her for the longest five minutes of her life she had felt her whole world shatter. She knew if they had not been able to save him she would have ended her life, so at least they could have been together where ever it is that people's souls or whatever, goes to when they die. But then the monitor that was attached to Gendry jumped and she saw his chest rise on its own. His eyes had opened and he had reached out for her.

She had taken his hand and placed it on her face. Her hot tears fell into his palm and he had pulled her down to his lips. She had meant it to be soft and fleeting, just a reminder for them both that he was a live. Gendry kissed her as if he had died and she was the only reason he had come back. Later, after they had learned that Sandor was going to make it and he had gone to his surgery for his shoulder and was in recovery she had asked him what that kiss was about.

"I had died. I had felt my life slip away. I died knowing that I had failed to protect you and that the sick fucker was going to get his hands on you. I had my last glimpse of your face and it was full of horror. Then when I was back from the dead and I saw only joy and love. I wanted to show you with my kiss how much it meant to have you in my life and be my love. Words would not have been possible, since my wind pipe was crushed." He had said in the deep voice of having a crushed windpipe.

The next few days were spent in the hospital. She hopped from Gendry’s side, to waiting with Sansa and comatose Sander to sitting with Myrcella with her uncle Tyrion. She had not had time to stop and think about the fact that she had taken a life of another human being. On the fourth day the police had come to talk to her. Ned was with them and he had asked if they could be in Tyrion's room, since he was a lawyer and could be trusted.

Detective Bronn sat across from her and her father stood behind her. He'd had placed his hand on her solder.

"We have shown all the evidence of the events to a judge and it has been deemed that the shooting and death of Jaqen Hagar was in self-defense and in the defense of others. There will be no charges taken against you." Bronn's deep voice resonated in her. She looked up at her father and she saw the tension flow out of him.

"Sir I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, but I just want to make sure that I understand things. I killed a man, shot him dead and I will not be seeing the inside of a jail cell?" She asked in a soft and cold voice. Her father dug his hand into her shoulder.

"That is right. A judge has ruled that you were not in the wrong. Justice had been served to the departed when you pulled the trigger." Bronn smiled at her. She felt her own mouth stretch into a smile in answer.

She walked back to Gendry’s room and she felt pleasure. She had taken out the threat. She had protected her family. She thought back to her childhood and the nickname that Jon had given her. Little Wolf. She had sure acted the part of the wolf. She had attacked when her mate was under attack. She had come out on top of the challenge. She was the wolf.

"Gendry I have amazing news. A judge has deemed that I will not be going to jail for killing Jaqen. I am a free woman. And in two days you will be free of this hospital bed." She walked over to his bed and kissed him.

He had to clear his voice twice and take a sip of water before he could say anything.

"That's great Arya. But I was never worried. You did what needed doing. I love you."

"I love you too." She leaned her head over his heart. It beat steady under her ear. After watching him die, his heartbeat was something she never got sick of hearing. Tears welled in her eyes. The shock of it all finally hit her. Today when they had said she was not guilty of murder made her really realize for the first time Jaqen was dead and she had killed him. The tears were streaming down her face, making a damp spot on Gendry’s shirt.

"Shhh," he tried to hold her and run his hand down her head at the same time, but it was impossible to do both with only one arm, so he held her. She let everything that she was feeling go for the first time since the shooting.

"I killed someone Gendry. I killed him. I see it whenever I close my eyes. I see you lying dead at his feet and his sick smile as he turned to me. And I remember feeling happy when I pulled the trigger and he fell to the floor. I was happy for fuck sake. For taking a life." Her voice broke and she sobbed.

"It's going to be okay." He kissed her and held her and she heard his heartbeat against her ear. "I swear that nothing like this will ever happen again. I will not fail you like this again as long as I live." Then he pushed her face up and looked in her eyes. "I mean that Arya. I would trade everything to take this memory away from you. All I can do is love you and hope it is enough." He kissed her and she felt him send up all the love he was feeling for her in that one kiss.

She pulled away and his hand slid across her face to wipe away her tears.

"I love you too. But now I have to go. My dad is waiting to take me home. I have to do some homework or I'm going to fail." She gave him one more kiss then walked out the door.

When she was away from his room she took her phone out and called Jon. He answered on the first ring.

"Arya. What did they say?" He knew that the police were going to decided what to do with her today and he had been waiting for her call.

"Because I acted in defiance of others and of myself there are no charges being filed against me."

"Oh Little Wolf that is great. But why do I get the feeling that you are less then happy about it all?"

"You know me to well. It's just that I ended a life, and no one cares. Jaqen wasn't a bad guy Jon, not until I came along. I pushed him until he became a black and twisted person. And then I shot him."

"You did it to save yourself and Gendry. You know what Jaqen would have done to you if he had lived. I for one am glad you killed him." Jon said with a fierceness that scared her. She had not really thought of what would have happened if she hadn't shot him, or the cops hadn't gotten there when they had.

"He would have done something really bad to me, I know that. Gendry told the cops what Jaqen had said to him. I know he would have raped me. But I still cant stop seeing him fall Jon. Once his head was shot he just fell. I don't know Jon. I think that I just need to have people stop talking at me. I think I need to go for a drive and clear my head, without people telling me I did the right thing. I'll call you later."

She could hear him say "Arya, wait" but she hit the end button on her phone. Aegon was walking in to the hospital and he had his helmet under his arm. She stopped when they drew even and then she asked if she could borrow his bike to go to get something for Gendry.

"You aren't going to disappear again are you?" He handed over the helmet and the keys.

"What makes you say that?"

"The last time you asked for my bike you ran away. I don't want to be the one that tells Gendry that I let you escape twice. You are going to come back right?"

"Right. Like I said I just need to get something for Gendry." She gave him a lop sided grin and he smiled back at her.

Arya walked away from him and out to the parking lot. His bike sat in its spot and she kicked it to life. She let the vibrating beast roar under her and she spilled from the lot and onto the opened road. She had no idea where she would go just that she had to get away.

Sansa

She hurried down the halls of the hospital. The text from Jon had really worried her. All it said was  _Find Arya before she does something stupid_. To have Jon that worried about Arya scared her. She would look in Gendry’s room first. If anyone knew what was going on with Arya it would be him. She reached the room and Aegon was in there as well. The two were talking about how Beric wanted to make a song about what had happened and how he wanted them both to write one. She stood in the doorway and didn't see Arya anywhere.

"Have either of you seen Arya? I got a text from Jon and I am worried about her." Sansa asked as she entered the room.

"She left a few minutes ago. She was heading home to do some homework." Gendry said.

"I saw her in the hall." Aegon said. "She said that she was going to get you something. Oh fuck." The other two looked at him. "I gave her my bike, again."

"Where would she have gone? Gendry where would she go?" Sansa demanded.

"I don't know." He tried to sit up in the bed and swing his legs over the side of it. His injuries prevented him from finishing his task so he fell back on the bed and gave a wordless cry. A nurse came running in.

"Mr. Baratheon, what is wrong?"

"Everything, fucking everything!" He yelled.

"Calm down young man. Just try to be calm." The nurse hurried around trying to calm him down.

"Our spot on the cliff. Look there. It's our spot." Gendry said once the nurse had given him a sedative and calmed him down.

"Text me directions. And Aegon call Robert and my father." Sansa shouted as she ran out of the room and down the hall. She had to find Arya. Sansa knew that guilt must be eating away at Arya. She knew at one time Jaqen had been someone she liked. Sansa felt stupid for neglecting her little sister and the pain she was in. All she had been able to think about was Sandor. She should have been there for Arya. That's what sisters were supposed to do.

Her car was in the car park. She threw it into reverse and her mini sped out of the structure. Her phone chimed and she knew that she had her directions. She hoped that her sister was there. Sansa flew out of town and her car climbed into the hills. If she wasn't so scared the drive would have been beautiful. She took the last turn and her mini was at an over look of the city and in the view there was the ocean. The sun was setting on the horizon and it was amazing to see.

Sansa let the breath that she was holding go out of her body. Aegon’s bike was there and Arya was sitting under an oak tree. Everything that she had been thinking to tell her evaporated as she saw the way that Arya’s shoulders were shaking. She was crying. Sansa could count on one hand the number of times she had seen her sister cry in her life. She approached her as if she was a wild thing, like the wolf Jon had named her for.

"Arya." Sansa called out when she was twenty feet away.

"I heard your mini come up. I know you are there. You don't need to walk up to me like I am going to jump off the cliff."

That was just like Arya. Making snarky comments when she knew Sansa was worried about her.

"Arya what did you say to Jon? And why did you run away again?"

"I knew that Jon would go crazy. I just wanted to clear my head and think. Sans I killed someone, okay. And I let myself get wrapped up in everything else before I could process it all. But it all just hit me when they told me that nothing would happen to me after I snuffed out another living beings life." Arya threw an acorn so it rolled to the edge of the cliff and tumbled over the edge.

"What will you do Arya? What do you want to do?" Sansa asked standing beside her sister looking out over the view.

"I want to go home. To Winterfell. I want to go back to a place where the world was simple and made sense." Arya took a shuddering breath then whipped at her eyes.

Sansa knew that she should talk her sister into going home to the house in L.A. She knew it was the right thing to do. But looking down at her, at the lost girl that she had been in Winterfell before they had moved South, she knew what she had to do. She had to send her home. She knelt down to grasp her sister's hand and looked her in the eye.

"I have a full tank of gas and seventy five bucks in cash. The mini makes great gas mileage and you should only have to refuel once. I will tell father that you are going home. You go straight to Winterfell. Nowhere else. I will let Jon know that you are on your way and to have the staff make your room ready." She hugged her sister. "Will you do one thing before you go? Will you call Gendry? He needs to hear that you are leaving from you, not second hand."

"Yeah I can do that. Why does love suck some times Sansa? I love Gendry so much but I will never forgive him for dying or being shot."

"I have the same feeling about Sandor. But I know what Sandor did was to protect me, so I forgive him. And Gendry put his life on the line for you, not once but twice. I think he really loves you and has proven it to you more than once. If there is anything that I can advise you on, it would be if you are running, don't run for long and don't run from him. He is the best thing that has ever happened to you. I have known your whole life and I will tell you that he is the very best thing that would happen to you in your entire life."

She bent down and was kneeling before her sister. Arya’s hands shot out and wrapped around her in a vise like hold. Arya was hugging her and Sansa let her sister hug onto her. It was if she was Arya’s life line and the only solid thing in the world. Sansa wrapped her arms around her and held her sister for the first time since they were small children. She remembered Arya holding her after the attack from Joffery. She had cried her heart out. Now her sister did the same thing. She never would have imagined that her sister would reach out to her this way. She had always been so strong. Even when they were little. Even when Sansa and her friends would call her Arya Horse-face and she knew the words stung. Then when they had entered High School and she and her friends said she was ugly and plain and would never have a boyfriend. She had not seen her sister cry and had never gone to her to make amends. That is what she was trying to do for her now. Sansa had been unable to make amends while they had been home, but here in the South she could make up for it. As if echoing her thoughts Arya pulled away and loomed over her sister.

"If we would have been home you would not have come for me. I guess I am not the only one who has changed here. You have too. The South has made us friends as well as sisters and I think I like this best of all." Arya ran her hand across her face. Snot and tears were tracked across her cheek. Sansa wanted to wipe them away but knew better then to do that for her sister.

"We both have grown up a lot since we have moved down here. For the better I think. You will call him, won't you?” Sansa asked looking her in the eye.

"I will call him. He needs more then to hear that I have left from someone else."

They said their goodbyes. Sansa kissed her sister on the head and pressed her keys into her hand. She warned Arya if there was a dent or a scratch on her baby she would kill her. They chuckled at the joke, and then Arya got into the car and drove away.

Sansa watched her sister drive away in her car. She had a feeling that Arya would be better once she cleared her head in the North. That was their strength. The Starks always went home when things got rough, their history showed them that. Once her sister was better thisng’s would be All right. She took out her phone and called her dad.

"Daddy, I found Arya. No she is not with me now. Yes she is alright. No I let her go." She heard her father yell about how could she let her sister go like that, but the only thing her sister registered was that at her sister's greatest hour of need she had been there for her.

Gendry

If he hadn't been strapped to a hospital bed he would have been leading the search for Arya himself. As soon as Sansa had left he called Jon. They had had a weird conversation about how Arya felt guilt over killing Jaqen, and anger at Gendry for dying again on her. Gendry told him that he had just done what he had felt was right.

"Gendry in any other person you would have been right, but with Arya its different. She has always seen things in black and white. Before you she never saw things in grey or color for that matter." Jon had said.

"But what she did was right. Killing Jaqen was the best thing for us all. She is a hero. Why can't she see that?" Gendry demanded.

"She will in time. I don't know when that will be, but it is not the end my friend. She has always been rash. Let her cool off and get her head together." Then he hung up the phone.

Gendry sat in his bed. Aegon had gone off to find his sister and her aide in making Gendry not be so lost in everything that he had done.

He never would have thought that Arya killing Jaqen would have caused a rift between them. But then he remembered that Jaqen had always stood between them, so why should he not do it when he was dead? He tried to remember when his life had not been so complicated. It had ben when he was still a bastard, not having a father, when his mother was working herself to death to support the two of them. Then Arya Stark had come into his life. She had made it possible for him to have a father, a family, a home. But now she was gone. She had left him when he was in need of her the most. He felt a stab of guilt. Again he was only thinking of himself. The woman that he loved above everything else was in pain and he could not do a damn thing to heal her wounds.

He was lying in bed realizing all this when his phone rang again. He snatched it up and looked at who was calling. It was Arya. He fumbled to answer it.

"Arya. Thank the gods. Where are you? Did Sansa find you?" He demanded.

"She did. I am on my way home. I just wanted to call and say goodbye. I need some time Gendry. I need time to come to terms with what I have done." Her voice was cold and distant.

"You have done nothing wrong Arya. You did the right thing." He persisted.

"Gendry I killed a man. It will take more then words to help me realize what you are trying to tell me. That is why I have to go."

"GO. GO where? Your home is here. With your family, with me." His voice broke on the last word.

"Gendry I love you more then anything, but I need time. I know that you don't understand, but when I killed Jaqen I killed a part of myself. I died too. I did it to save you, and I would do it again. But I killed a part of me that night. I was able to pretend that I hadn't while I waited to make sure that you would live, but I killed a part of me." Arya reasoned.

"Where ever you go I will find you. There is nothing in this world that would keep me from you." He vowed.

"I know that. That is why I mislead Sansa. I am not going to Winterfell, like I told her. I am going somewhere else. I will let you know when I am better. Remember that I love you." She stopped talking to hear him say I love You too, but he couldn't say it back. She was throwing away her life, their life, because of some feeling of stupid guilt.

"Say something stupid. I need to know you understand." She insisted.

"I don't understand. All I have is hope, but it won't make me feel better. This is goodbye Arya. Just like you want it." Gendry was silent for a moment and he could hear her crying on her end of the line. "I love you Arya Stark. More then you know." He clicked End on his phone

He sat in his hospital room and cried. The tears streamed down his faced. This is how Myrcella and Aegon found him.

"Gendry what is wrong?" Myrcella asked as she rushed to his bedside grasping his hand.

"She is gone. Arya is gone." Gendry sobbed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to much more now! Thanks for sticking with me.


	39. Chapter 39

Myrcella

She had thought that she would only have one family emergency for the day. When Jamie had left, left for good, she had stayed with Tyrion talking about their family.

"Ever since we were small children your mother wanted more then was normal. She wanted everything for herself." Tyrion said leaning heavily against the pillows of his bed.

"So she was always sick." Myrcella said.

"That sickness stems from our father. He is the sick one. Tywin Lannister is the one that caused all our problems. But never forget that at the time of your birth your mother loved you. She might be sick, but she loves you Myrcella." Tyrion said.

"She might have loved me once, but now I know what a real mothers love is. Whet ever Cerise Lannister calls love is not real love. We both know that." She gave him a sad smile. Then her phone chimed. She read the text and looked at Tyrion. "I have to go. Arya is missing and Gendry needs me."

"You love your brother, truly love him. That is good Myrcella. Remember that we are nothing without our family. And I do not mean just the one that we were born into. Family is something we create around us." Tyrion spoke with a weight behind his voice that for a moment she wondered who he was referring to. But the new emergency took her attention.

She ran to Gendry's room. He was trying to get out of bed and Aegon was nowhere to be seen. It took her an hour to calm him down, but she got her brother to stay in bed. She had feared that he would need to be sedated. Then she had gotten word from Sansa. Aegon had finally come back. The nurses had been forced to sedate him. Gendry had tried to pull the IV from his arm when they had been told Arya had left. Once Gendry was no longer in danger she had left with Aegon. They walked out of the hospital together. Since they knew where Sansa was they were going with Ned to get her.

"Aegon, I feel like this was my entire fault. It's like everything around me has dissolved. I lost my mother, my brother; my best friend is running away. It is all my doing." She confessed as they waited to be picked up.

"Cella none of this is your doing. Never forget that. You might have lost the woman who gave birth to you, and Joff was never really a brother to you either. And Arya is not lost either. Think of all that you have gained. You have your father back, and a woman who loves you the way a mother should love her children. And you have two brothers who love you as well. Never forget that." He wrapped her in his arms.

"And I have you. I know I have said this before, but you are the best thing in my life and I would not be able to make it one day to the next without you." She kissed him and tried to drink all the love he felt for her in that kiss.

"I just want you to know that if you ever try to do what Arya is doing to Gendry I will punish you once I have you again." He said once the kiss was ended.

"I would never leave you. You are my family. We have to stick together. Tyrion told me family was not what we were born into, but what we make. And you are my family, until you get sick of me." She gave him a sad smile.

"I will never get sick of you My Cella."

Ned's car pulled up and they got in to give him directions to Sansa.

Sansa

She had been stranded up on the overlook with Aegon's bike. She knew how to drive one, all the Stark children did. But they were all dirt bikes. She was not confidant enough to drive it. She took her phone and called her father and told him what had happened and asked if he would come for her. He said that he would and so she sat under the oak tree and waited.

It was not long before her father came with Aegon and Myrcella with him.

"Arya is gone." She said as they got out of the car.

"We know. Why did you let her go?" Her father demanded.

"She was crying daddy. I haven't seen her cry in so long. You always say the North is our strength. She needs some right now. Who am I to tell her not to go?" She walked past him and got into the backseat. Aegon got on the bike and pulled the helmet over his head. He had a fast word with Myrcella then took off. Ned and Myrcella got back into the car and they drove down into the city.

"I suppose you want to go to the hospital?" Her father asked in a detached, cold voice.

"Yes." Sansa said.

They drove there in silence. Sansa replayed the whole scene with Arya in her head. She tried to think of a way she could have kept her here, but she still came up with the same ending. When they pulled up to the hospital and Myrcella got out Sansa slid to the middle of the backseat and asked her father the most important question she had ever asked.

"Are you going after her?"

Ned hung his head until it rested on the steering wheel.

"No. She needs time. I know that. She is like Lyanna for a reason. The two of them have always needed time. My sister always ran when things got tough. Why should Arya be any different?" Ned was looking out the windshield like he was watching a ghost before his eyes. A memory was playing out in his head and Sansa had no idea what to say.

They sat in the car. Neither spoke. They were both thinking about their sisters. Ned's long dead and Sansa's alone and in pain.

"Will she come home daddy?"

"Where is home now?" Ned asked.

"With you and mother and the boys. No matter where we are, as long as we are together, surrounded by love, we are home." Sansa put her hand on her father's shoulder and he finally turned and looked at her.

"Home. Your idea of home sounds right. Gods I have to go to the house and tell your mother. I don't want to have to, but I know I must. I fear we will have a fight. I will have to say things to her that might make her hate me. Sansa she is not of the North, she has no idea of the power that land has over us. I think she will demand that we go after Arya. But I know if we do that we might lose her forever."

"Speaking from your own experiences?"

"Yes. Lyanna. When she found out about Jon she tried to go after his father. She said she loved him. I did not let her get far and she hated me until the day she died for that. Sometimes I think about what would have happened if I had just let her go. Jon would have had a mother who loved him and a father who knew he was here on this planet. But I let my pride get in the way and I lost my sister. You did what I was not strong enough to do all those years ago Sansa. You let her go." Her father started to cry.

She had never heard him talk so much about Lyanna. He always told Jon he could ask him anything about his mother, but he never did. Because to Jon Cat and Ned were his parents. Lyanna might have been the woman who gave birth to him, but she was just a story to him really.

"It's okay daddy." Sansa tried to hug him, but the car seat got in the way. "It's okay. It will all work out in the end. I swear it."

"I know you are right. Now go inside. Helen can drive you home when she and Myrcella leave for the night." She reached for the door handle and his hand settled over hers. "I love you Sansa. And look in on Gendry for me. Try to tell him what it is going to be like for him to love one of us Starks. On second through I might have your mother do that. Once she is no longer mad at me." He gave her a sad smile.

"Okay daddy. I love you too."

Sansa got out of the car and walked the way to Sandor's room. She opened the door and his eyes sprang opened.

"Sansa what is it? I have been going crazy here waiting for news. No one is getting back to my Texts."

"Arya is gone. I gave her my car and she is going home." Sansa walked to him then crawled into bed with the man she loved and let him hold her.

Bran

The night Arya left shocked him. He had not expected her to leave, not after what he had seen. After he and Jojen had found Meera and explained everything to her they had thought that the drama would be over. They expected for them all to have the happily ever after that they were promised.

"I did not _see_ this coming." Jojen said as they sat in the backyard of the Stark house.

"I didn't think she would do something like this." Bran said. He watched his parents in the kitchen. For the first time in his life he had seen them fight with one another. They never argued, not really. It had always been playful banter between them, even if they didn't see eye to eye. This was something new, something he feared.

"Bran don't." Meera said, reading his mind. "None of this is your doing. Or you either Jojen. Arya just needs time. She has suffered more then the rest. She took a life. Let her go get her head on right again. You are always telling me Bran that the North is where you Starks get your strength. Let her go home and get strong. That is probably what your father is telling your mother. There is nothing that any of us can do for her."

"How do you know me so well?" Bran asked looking into her eyes.

She stood and came to sit on the ground beside his chair. She took his hand and smiled. It was a sad smile.

"I know you Bran. I know everything about you. Never forget that." Then she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. He relaxed against her and felt something that he had not known he was holding in flow out of him.

"Gods Meera, do you have to do that when I am right here? I am your brother and in my opinion I would rather not see you and Bran make out. I thing I have said that before." Jojen huffed.

"Stuff it Jojen." Meera said as she slid onto the lounge chair next to Bran.

Rickon came out of the house and sat on the ground by them. He looked frightened.

"Are mom and dad going to get divorced?" He asked once he was settled.

"No they are not." Bran said.

"Then why are they fighting? I have never seen them yell at each other." Little Rickon said.

"They are scared. They are scared for Arya. People say and do silly things when they are afraid." Meera said to Rickson's serious face.

"It's not like she is not coming back. I think she will be back on Saturday. Gendry will go and bring her home. I think she will realize that she doesn't need Winterfell to be her home, as long as she has him." The three teens looked at the boy as if he was something from outer space.

"Rickon, when did you get so insightful?" Bran asked, amazed at his younger brother.

"Well I watch people. You all still think I am a baby, but I have eyes. I see. Arya loves Gendry like Father loves Mother. There is nothing that will keep her from him or him for her. They have shown that already. I know Arya killed someone to protect Gendry. And Tommen says that Gendry died for her. The only time you see two people willing to do that for each other is in story books. And I don't think that their story is over. They need the Happily Ever After, don't they?" Rickon looked at Bran for his thoughts. Bran knew what his baby brother was saying was right. He felt so stupid not to have realized all this himself.

"Rickon you amaze me. I am at a loss for words. I think you have it all right." Bran said.

"From the mouth of babes." Jojen said, and then laughed.

Sandor

Sandor held Sansa and they flipped though the TV channels looking for something to watch. He found something that he knew would brighten Sansa's mood. Something that he knew was a comfort to her. Titanic was on and they had just made the opening of the movie.

"Sandor, do you really want to watch this?" She asked from her position beside him.

"I will watch it if you do." He said, trying to make a joke out of the line _you jump, I jump_. He had never thought that was the best thing to say, but holding Sansa to him and thinking of the night of prom, he finally understood what those words meant.

When he had jumped off the stage to face Joffery the only thing he was thinking about was Sansa. He was thinking of her smile, the way she flushed when she was about to have an explosion of passion, the way that she tried to see the good in everyone. He had jumped off that stage and took a bullet for her. He had jumped and he felt she would have jumped right after him. The thought in that context frightened him to the core, but in a non threatening environment the idea was not half bad.

"You know I now understand why Gendry did what he did for your sister." He said as they watched Leo dash along the wharf.

"What do you mean?" Sansa asked.

"When I faced Joffery, even when he shot me, all I could think about was you. I told you once he would pay for what he did to you. I wanted to kill him. For hurting you."

"That is in the past. I thought we had moved on from that." She shifted so she was looking down at him.

"So did I. But when he had stood there and threatened you I knew that the only way he would stop was to stop him then and there. If he had not shot me I would have killed him." He shrugged.

"Then you would have felt the way Arya feels over Jaqen. I am glad you didn't kill him." Sansa said.

"I understand why Arya did what she did." Sandor said, trying to get her to lie back beside him.

"What do you mean, you understand?" Sansa demanded.

"When the one person in the world you care about, more then your own life is hurt, threatened, something inside you opens and this other person comes out. That happened to me that night. You know how they called me Hound all those years?" He asked.

"Yes."

"That night, in that place where most of us keep locked tight opened and the true Hound was let loose. I was going to rip Joffery apart. I am just sad that I won't get the chance to kill him."

Sansa sat there and looked at his face. She was shocked and he watched her struggle to make a logical conclusion to his words.

"I never want to have the pain that Arya and Gendry are going through right now. I am glad that you didn't kill Joffery. But I don't think you understand what you nearly dying has done to me. I watched the blood, your life pump out of you. I have never felt so helpless in my entire life. Not ever when Joffery attacked me. Then I knew I had some control about what could happen. That night I had none. I prayed to every god that had ever existed for you not to die. I never want to be that helpless again. And I think this is what Gendry is feeling. Helpless." Sansa whispered the end of her speech and tears welled in her eyes.

Sandor sat back and Sansa allowed him to pull her back to them to watch the movie. Kate was about to jump off the back of the ship. Sandor would never understand why she wanted to jump, but he was to afraid to ask Sansa now. She would give him another lecture and he was to tired to sit through another one regarding the motives of the characters in this movie. So he lay there with the woman he loved and watched the sappy movie in silence.

Sometime later they were both shaken awake by Helen. She was saying something about it being time for Sansa to go home. Sandor snapped awake. He looked to the screen and Kate was saying she would never let go of her promise. As Sansa slid from the bed he took her hand.

"I swear that I will never make you feel helpless. Never." He kissed her hand and then she leaned down and kissed him.

"Never forget this."

"I will always remember, especially when you make me watch this movie."

Sandor watched as she walked out of the room. He felt a swell of desire surge inside him. He wondered how long it would be before he and Sansa could make love again. He fell back asleep remembering their times together.

Gendry

He had not meant for the last thing he was going to say to Arya to be goodbye. They had been through to much shit for that to be it. And if she wasn't going to Winterfell where would she go? He picked up the phone and tried calling her back, but every time it just rang until it went to voicemail. The first message he left was the only one.

"Arya I love you and this is not goodbye. I want you to know that there will never be a goodbye for us. I love you. I will follow you to the depth of hell and back. I will be there for you no matter what. But I need you to want me to be there. You are my heart Arya. I cannot lose you. So this is not goodbye."

He hung up the phone. Helen came in the room. He could tell she knew about Arya.

"Mom she's gone." He choked on his words. It was as if saying the words out loud made them true.

"No one is ever gone until they no longer draw breath and their heats stops beating. I know about this my dear. She is still here honey. You just need to not give up on her." She sat on her son's bed and held him to her like she used to when he was a small child.

"But she left. She is going gods only know where."

"I think you get this attitude from your father. You have too much Baratheon in you." She chuckled as she stroked his head. "He thought I was lost to him when he was forced to marry Cersei. He gave up. And he was miserable the whole time. Me I never gave up. Yeah, it might have taken longer then I wanted, but in the end I got the man that always held my heart, didn't I?" She asked, tilting her sons face up to look him in the eye.

"Yeah mom, I guess you did. And now you both are happy." He smiled at her and wiped his face with the blanket.

"You are going to be able to go home tomorrow. I have done some talking with the doctors and nursing staff here. I have gotten their approval that you can travel, as long as you have a trained medical person with you. And it just so happens that I know one who is as eager to head up North as you are. I have talked your father into letting you take his plane and be in Winterfell when Arya gets there." She beamed at her son. Gendry sat there with his mouth opened.

"Mom. That's wow!" He hugged her. "But I don't know if she is going to Winterfell. She said she lied to Sansa."

"She didn't. She lied to you. She is going home. All girls try to find home when we get scared. I know I did. I hope you won't make the same mistake as your father and go after the girl you love. They discharge you at three tomorrow. You and Dany will be on the plane by five." She kissed his head and walked to the door. "I want you to be fully rested. That is why I talked to the doctors about giving you a sleeping pill. You will need rest in the days to come."

Arya

She was driving on Highway 101 along the coast. She had already passed San Francisco and had decided to get onto I-5 for the rest of the drive. At first she had decided not to go to Winterfell, but now with every mile she drove North, the more she needed to go there. When she had first left she had mot called by Gendry for an hour straight. She had not wanted to talk to him so she had turned off her phone. Two hours into her trip she had called her father. That was a conversation she would have rather not had, but knew that she must.

"Arya are you out of your mind? Running away is never the answer to the problem. Do you realize how many people you have hurt and how many are worried?" Ned had yelled at her.

She had not known what to say so she said the only thing that she could.

"I'm sorry daddy. I need to go home. I need to go home. I'm sorry."

After saying this for the tenth time in a row she thought that it had all sunk in. Ned had been silent for a long moment then came back on the line.

"No Arya, you do not need to be sorry. I should be sorry. I should have realized that things were not all right for you. I failed you sweetie. Take all the time you need. But I just have two requests. One, drive safe. You still don't have a license and I really would hate to have to bail you out of jail for your driving. And the other is could you try to come back in time for Sansa's graduation and Robert and Helens wedding? That's in a month."

"I will daddy. I hope that I am better by then. I love you daddy."

She had gone back to driving and sat there fiddling with the radio. Every song that came on was either to happy, sappy or to poppy for how she was feeling. She was coming over Mt. Shasta when the oldies station she had on started playing _We've Got Tonight._ Arya had to turn off the road. It felt like someone was squeezing her heart. She couldn't breathe. She clutched her chest and felt the key that Gendry had given here right before the first time they had made love. Her head swam and she couldn't see because she was crying. She sat and sobbed as the song played. Once it had ended she turned the station.

The song that came on next was not an improvement. It was _Say Something_ by a Great Big World. The melancholy notes of the piano filled her with such sorrow and longing. The words resonated in her. She felt like a coward now for running away. In a way she was giving up on Gendry and the love she had for him and the love he had for her. She knew that he loved her, more then life it's self. He had proven it twice now. He had even died to protect her.

As the song ended she picked up her IPod and found the song and turned it on. She had to have it playing, as a reminder of what she was doing, what she was giving up when she made this call.

He answered on the first ring.

"Arya where are you? I've been discharged. I can come to you. We can go away for a while together. We can leave it all behind. Just tell me where you are." He pleaded.

"Gendry I am not giving up on us." She said, and then took a shaky breath.

"I don't understand." He said to her and she felt his confusion like a blow to her heart.

"I'm not going to give up on us. I just need time. I know that you did everything for me. Everything. You died for me. And then I killed for you. But I have to be honest. Sometimes it hurts to much to be around you. I look at you and all I see is your dead body and Jaqen's dead body and I am standing above you, holding a gun, a gun I used to kill you both. I dream that, every night since the shooting. Most nights they don't make it to you in time and I am left there standing over your dead body. Then I wake up and I realize that I have killed you and I have you shot and if we never would have met nothing like this would have happened to you and it kills me to know that it is my love for you that is the cause of all this pain." Her voice broke and she was hyperventilating.

The song was in the background.

_Say something, I'm giving up on you._

"Arya don't talk like this. Come back to me. To us. If we are together we can work it out. Arya come back to me. I love you." His voice was getting thick and she could imagine him with tears in his eyes, threatening to spill.

"Gendry…"

_You are the one that I love and I am saying good-bye._

"Gendry I have to not be around anyone for a few days. That's all I need. But I just wanted you to know that I am not giving up on you. I love you."

"I'm going to fight for you. Just like I always have. I am not going to make this easy on you. I know that you are going home. I will be there when you arrive. I will hold you, make love to you and remind you that everything that I have done, everything you have done was for this, for us matters."

_And anywhere I would have followed you._

She let out a breath and let one out again. She was so afraid to speak. She was afraid she would tell him to come, or worse afraid to tell him that it was the end of them if he did. So she just sat there and let the music wash over her. She was dimly aware of him calling out to her on the phone.

"Arya, Arya. Say something."

"Okay." She hung up the phone. She didn't know if she was saying okay to his plea or saying okay to his idea to be in Winterfell when she got there, but she had said the only thing she could think of to say.

She sat behind the wheel of Sansa's car and cried. She was finally able to let go of what had happened. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her. In that moment she realized that Gendry loved her and it didn't matter to him that she was a killer. He loved her despite it all. He would be waiting for her once she got home. Now she had a reason to make it North. She knew that the man who had died for her would be there waiting for her. The man she had killed for would be there and he would always be there for her.

With renewed hope and a reason to finish the drive she pulled back onto the road and headed home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two in such a short time? Is the world ending? No! I just want to finish so I can get the new chapters out. Looking over this one actually caused me to cry. I remembered where my head was when I wrote it and then I listened to the two songs I mentioned and I was balling my eyes out. I hope you liked this chapter. More to come.


	40. Chapter 40

Jon

He didn't get it. He didn't fucking get it. Arya had run away for the second time. In under six months! When she got home he would kill her. He would either wring her neck or lock her in the cellar of Winterfell. For the moment he was of the mindset to wring her neck. When Ned had called and told him she had done another runner and that she was on her way in Sansa's car he was livid. He knew that if he was pissed it was nothing compared to what their father was going through. So he had assured his father that once she was in Winterfell he would keep her there. Then a text from Gendry had scared the shit out of him. He had said that she might not be going to Winterfell after all. He thought of all the places she could go. She had an aunt in the Vale and a grandfather in Riverun. They were the only places he could think of. Either Colorado of, god forbid Mississippi.

Robb, Theon and Jon had stayed up all night waiting to hear from someone to tell them she was on her way. It was late afternoon on the second day of Arya's mad escape that Gendry had called him.

"She is on her way. I have been released tonight from the hospital and am on my way up North. I have a nurse coming with me and we will be there until she comes home. Then if the gods permit I will be taking her back south for my graduation and my parents wedding." Gendry had said in a rush.

"Whoa wait, she is on her way?" Jon looked over to his brothers, they were playing ASOIAF. Theon had been captured by some sicko and Robb was fighting for his life at some wedding. He had gotten his girlfriend Jayne addicted too, so when they weren't together they were playing online with one another. Jon could not believe that Rickon and Tommen were doing so well at the game. They had almost all of Westeros. Jon had chosen to defend the Wall. His friends and family who play the game thought he was crazy for choosing to go there, but it was where his heart was.

"She is, and so am I." Gendry had disconnected and Jon was left standing with a dead phone in his hand.

He turned to his brothers and let out a frustrated breath.

"She is on the way and so is Gendry." Jon said. The guys stopped plying and turned to him.

"Fucking hell." Theon smashed his controller down hard on the coffee table. "And I thought things couldn't get worse!" he yelled into the Livingroom. They were still at their apartment at university, miles from where the shit was going to hit the fan.

"What do we need to do?" Robb always deferred to whoever seemed to have more power over the situation and in case the one who was left standing was Jon. When ever Arya was concerned Jon was always the one in charge.

"Well one of us has to open Winterfell. Then one of us has to be at the airport waiting for Gendry and whoever he has coming with him. Thank the gods we had some kind of heads up. I don't know what we would have done if they had not let us know what was going on until they were here." Jon rubbed his eyes and felt older then he was.

"I can go open Winterfell." Robb suggested. Jon nodded his head. He still felt weird when Robb took orders from him.

"Yeah, why don't you do that?" Jon said. He knew that he was the only one that would be able to meet Gendry at the airport. "Theon you stay near the phone and give news to mom and dad. They will need constant updates. Text Sansa as well. Okay, we all have our jobs to do and only four hours to do them. Let's leave now and head up to Winterfell. It's a two hour drive back home."

The boys walked to their cars. Jon took his mustang that he was given for his birthday. Robb and Theon were in the sensible non-gas guzzling car that they used for the drive home. Jon was at the opening of the carport and peeled out. He was on no mood to play games like he and Theon usually did when they took separate cars. He just wanted to get to the house, let the land sooth him, then go get Gendry and wait for Arya.

He had his music blearing and it was not all too happy. It was pissed off hard rock. He was driving fast and he was impressed at how Gendry and Arya had rebuilt his car. He had seen the before and after pictures. They had amazed him. When Arya had pulled up with the car on her spring break he had wanted nothing so much in his life. He had been looking for this car for as long as he could remember. When she had handed over the keys to Jon he felt the way he feels before he has sex with a girl for the first time. There was a thrill to the way the keys felt in his hand, the way the car sounded when he turned it over for the first time. How the car handle when the wheels were on the open road. It was love, true love. Now all he felt was cold. He was cold and angry.

He made it to the house half an hour before the others made it. He slid out of the car and the door opened and Rodrik was there.

"Jon, we were called and told that you all were coming." The old man walked down the stairs and opened his arms. Rodrik was like a second father to Jon. He had taught him how to shoot a gun, how to climb a tree without making a sound and how to work the land. Once upon a time Rodrik had been in the military in a unit he couldn't talk about, even to this day.

"I knew that you would have everything in hand." Jon hugged Rodrik and they smiled at one another.

"I am guessing that Robb and Theon will be around shortly?" Rodrik raised his eyebrow. He had shown Jon how to do this trick and Jon showed Arya. The other Starks could do it, but none as good as the "dark Starks". That's what Rodrik called Arya and Jon.

"I need some food. Is there anything to eat in here?" Jon asked as they started to walk into the house.

"There is some beef stew. It's not as good as Mrs. Clark, but passable." They walked the long walk through the house to the back to the kitchen.

"I hope that it's made from food we grew here on our land?"

"You know it is. I don't know why you want to be a lawyer so bad. You should have just stayed here and become a farmer."

"No. I want to be a lawyer and up hold the law. I want to give power to the weak."

"You always were one for the law. Justice should have been your middle name, but in a way I guess it is. Eddard is, in a way, a synonym for justice. At least here on Winterfell." They smiled at one another.

"I have some news on the whole lawyer thing. That internship I interviewed at Christmas accepted me. In the next two weeks I will be moving South to work in the District Attorney's office of L.A. under the direction of Willas Tyrell and I quote "Under the watchful eye of Judge Mormont. You have impressed him Jon. Keep up the good work and you will go far." Jon shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Have you told your parents?" Rodrik paused in his eating with the spoon half way to his mouth.

"Not yet. With everything that has been going on there, first Sansa, then Bran, then Arya and then everything else going on, there just hasn't been time." Jon shrugged.

"They will want to know. Now eat that stew and then you have to go. It's a forty five minute drive to the airfield."

By the time he was finished eating the others were walking into the kitchen. They both had their phones out and were talking into their Bluetooth.

"If you can just get away from that shit Bolton we could use your ships and attack the fucking Freys." Robb was saying.

"I need you to come get me. And remember that we will have to sail the ships around the southern part of the company. That stupid king with the blazing heart will never let us go that way." Theon was saying.

"Hey want to hear something weird? That guy is Stannis Baratheon. You know that grumpy dude that we have seen at Roberts's house but always avoid? He plays ASOIAF." Robb said as they walked down thenhall.

"No shit?" Theon stopped talking and was tapping his controls on the phone like his life depended on it.

"Is this how you open Winterfell? By playing a game?" Jon asked.

"Hey you are just as much of an addict as the rest of us. It's all Tommen and Rickson's fault. Hell even Rodrik here plays. Don't you old man?" Robb asked his old friend.

"Play? You say that to the master of your army? I can make it impossible for you to go help Theon here." Rodric popped up, pulling at his beard.

"No he didn't mean it. HE is sorry. Please come help me!" Theon yelled.

"Jeyne! I need you to take the archers and. No don't do that. We need you to defend the flank. That Lion fuck is getting on me. No I don't know who it is. For all I know it's one of the fucking Lannisters. I remember there is a Lancle Lannister out there around our age. Just do what I say." Robb was tapping and so involved in what he was doing he was unaware of what was going on in the real world. With his nose to the phone he walked into the wall.

"Well then my brothers I am off. Got to pick up Gendry and the nurse." Jon left the others laughing at Robb.

Despite the fact that the drive was 45 minutes it swept Jon by. He loved his home, the place where Starks for as far back as anyone remembered had lived. It was lush and green and alive. That is what he loved. The aliveness to the land.

It was one thing that he would miss most when he went South. But his internship was not the only reason he wanted to go. He and Dany had been _talking_. A lot. But the problem was she was still dating the MMA guy. Jon didn't want to be a home wrecker, but he had feelings for her. Then, around the time Bran started walking again, she told her that she needed time. Time to get her life in order. She had said that she had things to decide on. Well in two weeks he would help her decide things in person.

He pulled up to the small airstrip what was on the Stark estate. He went over and talked to the air traffic guys and he was joking that it was another Baratheon group coming so they should pucker up and be ready to kiss some ass. Jon knew that Gendry would not want this, but Jon was in the mood to make him uncomfortable. This whole thing was in part his doing. If he had not beaten Jaqen to a pulp none of this would have happened. Or that's what he kept telling himself.

Jon was leaning against the hood of his car when he first spotted the plane. He reclined there and waited. The plane coasted to a stop on the runway and when it taxied to a stop Jon stood up to his full height. The doors opened and the stairs descended. Jon was watching and he saw the white blond head appear at the entryway. His breath caught in his throat. The only person that he knew with hair like that was Dany.

He watched as the slender body emerged from the plane. Her back was to him so he was able to see the swell of her hips and the round curve of her ass. Her tight jeans left nothing to the imagination. Jon, never in his life, felt fear for the first time. He wasn't ready for this. He had a grand gesture planned for when he confronted Dany. He had wanted to show her that he was the one for her. That together they could do everything they had talked about doing. They would try and save the world together. But here she was now. And his plans were blown to shit.

Gendry appeared at the gangway and Jon sucked in his breath. The boy was covered with bruises, from the base of his shirt to color to his eyes. He had known that he had been beat to hell and strangled, but the realization of how bad off he was had not penetrated his mind. His arm, the one that he had been shot in was strapped to his body. Every step he took caused him pain. Jon watched as Dany helped him off the plane. He knew that he shouldn't be jealous of Gendry, but he was. She soothed him, petted him, spoke soft words of comfort with each step he took. For a split second Jon wished he was the hurt one, just to have Da y treat him that way.

They made it to the bottom of the stairs and Jon hurried over to help Gendry to the car.

"Shit man, you look like hell." Jon said as he came closer to the two people he had come to help.

"I feel worse." Gendry huffed. "Do you know Dany? She had been kind enough to come with me and watch out for me. Wouldn't want these stitches to burst."

"Again." Dany said. She finally took her eyes off her patient and her gaze went to Jon for the first time. Her gaze bore into Jon. He cleared his throat and tried to talk.

"Again?" He said.

"Yeah. They blew on the way over. He would not sit still. I had to re-do them while we were in flight." Dany said as she walked him over to the car.

"Gendry you shouldn't have come. You know I would handle her once she got here. I am her brother and we are close, you know that. It is not the time for you to play hero." Jon slid up beside Gendry and when he went to put a hand on the small of his back to help him walk to the car he touched Dany's hand. They all stopped. An electric shock went from where his hand touched Dany to Jon's balls. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He felt Dany shudder and Gendry stopped walking.

"Whoa guys. What the fuck is going on here. Do you know each other?" Gendry looked from Jon to Dany.

"Um, we sort of know each other." Jon said.

"Is it that you know each other, or _know_ each other?" Gendry asked dryly.

"Stuff it fuck face. Let's get you into the car. Then you can rest at home in Winterfell." Jon started walking again.

They made it to the car in one piece. Gendry was set in the back, amidst a ton of pillows that Dany had run back to the plane to retrieve. Jon had watched her at her task, watching the way that her breasts bounced under her tight white shirt. Jon wanted to take her right then and there.

When the car was ready and packed with the everything they had brought with them they were ready for the drive. Dany had given Gendry something for the pain he was feeling and he passed out once they were ten minutes into the drive to Winterfell.

Jon and Dany drove in silence; the sexual tension in the car was building. Jon wanted nothing more then to talk, but he didn't want to be the one to break. When they were fifteen minutes from Winterfell Jon couldn't take it anymore. He stopped the car and looked at her.

"Dany I." He never got to finish the sentence.

"Jon don't. I know that I said we needed time. I let you become closer to me then I intended. I loved Drago when we first started dating. He was strong; he sheltered me from my brother. And we loved one another with passion and wild abandon. But then I found you. And you opened my eyes to everything I was missing. You showed me what it would be like to be with someone who wanted to do good in the world. We have the same ideals at heart. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. That's why I eventually want to be a doctor and you want to be a lawyer. We connected at a level that had nothing to do with sex or safety. But I couldn't choose. But Drago made it easy for me. He went to Russia and he had wanted me to go with him. When I told him I would have to stay here to finish my schooling, finish my dreams, he called it quits. He didn't care about me. He only cared about what I could do for his body. But you cared about me. I think that you love me and that is more then I have ever felt before." Dany finished her speech and had taken his hand. Jon did not know what to say.

Never in his lifetime would he have imagined this happening. He loved her that was true. He had seen the torment that she was in and had wanted to heal her, the way that she had wanted to heal the world. They had that in common. They both wanted to make the world a better place. He saw how strong she was, despite her past. Jon knew from their conversations that she had had a though life. But he understood it better then most.

He as well had grown up knowing his parents were dead, that he was alone. He shyed away from the thought. He had parents who loved him, who had always been there for him. But on the deepest level of himself he knew that he was truly an orphan, just like her.

"Dany you don't need to explain anything to me." He said looking at her.

"But I do." She looked down and her hair fell into her face. Jon pushed it behind her ear and looked at her.

"Dany I don't care. I think I love you. I have never known what it is like to be in love before, but I think I do in fact love you." Jon took her hand and was glad they were stopped. He let his left hand slide up her arm and come to her neck. He pulled her forward and brought lips to his.

Their first kiss was sweet and tender. It was deep and full of longing as well. Jon had never kissed someone the way that he was kissing Dany. It was pure and hopeful. He loved her and let her know it. They broke apart before the kiss could deepen. They had the rest of the drive to finish and they had to get Gendry in bed before they could do anything else. They drove hand in hand to Winterfell. When they got there the doors to the great house opened. There were enough attendants there to carry the baggage and help them get Gendry out of the car.

Jon supervised the unloading and placement of Gendry in a comfortable bed. He had let Dany go see to the settlement of Gendry. It was the longest half hour of his life. They had settled things down; the staff had things well under hand. Jon suspected that they missed having people to fuss over. Dany had walked out of Gendry's room and Jon had been waiting for her.

"Where is my room?" She asked.

"I have you over this way. Follow me." Jon walked away down the hall. They were side by side and their hands kept brushing together.

"I hope I will be able to shower? I came here right after I had been working a full shift in the hospital."

"You can use the bathroom that is connected to the room you can be staying in." Jon tried to be cryptic.

"Can be staying in? Why would I not stay in the room you are taking me to?"

"Well because I thought you might like to be in my room. Or you can stay in any of the other room in the house." Jon looked sideways at her as they kept walking.

"I wouldn't mind being in your room." She kept her head looking straight ahead.

They walked to Jon's room. It had been his room since he was small and he no longer wanted to share a room with Robb. It had evolved many times and now it was decorated in muted greys and he had nature prints all over the room. His favorite was of a pack of wolves running in the forest. Dany's bags were already there on the bed waiting for her.

"So if I am staying with you, does this mean that you want to move forward with our relationship?" Dany asked.

"I do. And I have some news. I am going to be in L.A for the summer as an intern for the DA's office. So for a while we won't have to do anything long distant." Jon smiled and Dany smiled back.

"Jon that is amazing. Now there is something that I have wanted to do to you for a long time. But you can't do it from over at the door there." She crooked her finger at him and Jon walked over to her.

He stood in front of her; she was looking at his chest. His eyes were on the top of her blond head. She looked up and in her eyes there was a fire that was burning just for him. Jon stood still as she drew her hands over his chest, to his shoulders and to his neck. One she kept there while the other she used to take a handful of his hair. She forced his mouth to hers and he answered her fire with his own. She surprised him. Instead of falling back on to to the bed, she backed him up until his back bumped the door of the room.

Jon realized what she was doing. The door was opened. Jon pushed away from the door, not breaking contact from her lips. He slammed the door shut and flung Dany against the wall. She took hold of the bottom of his shirt and drew it over his head. Once he was free of it he turned to rid Dany of hers. Inch by inch the shirt went up, first exposing her tight stomach, then the base of her bra, and then finally it was on the floor. Jon pulled her to him again and unclasped the one thing that was between him and what he desired the most. He tossed the offending article on the ground and he let himself do what he had wanted to do for a long time.

She led his head to her full breast. His tongue swept it around on the surface area and she arched her back. Her hands went to work on unbuckling his jeans and she pushed them down to the floor. His hands found her jeans, but he didn't let his relentless assault on her breasts stop. She stepped out of the jeans and Jon took one hand away from her breast and slid it down her stomach, waiting for the resistance of underwear, but he found none. All he felt were the soft curls that were at the top of her legs.

"You don't have on any underwear." Jon panted as he felt his hand nestle into her softness.

"But you are still in yours. Now let's get them off of you."

"If I take them off then I won't be able to stop from taking you right here against the door." He said with his teeth gritting together to stop himself from fucking her hard and heavy while standing against the door.

"Then do it. Fuck me Jon. Right here, right now. We have waited long enough." She pushed down his boxers and his erection sprung free. She took it in her hands and stroked it until it fully hard, not that it was mocha work. It took seconds. They kissed once more. Then he was in such burning need that he slung her leg over his hip and she guided the tip of him onto the moist entrance of her. He lifted her until she was in the right position, then she slid down the length of him until was in her. They kissed and the two most intimate places of the human body were married together. Jon started to pull out and she let him. She was moaning in pleasure ad desire as he pumped in and out of her. They were working together to find a rhythm. Their pants echoed around the room. Dany bounced on top of him and Jon pushed into her. It was heaven and they were so high on the feel of each other that they were coning before either one wanted to.

They were panting and giggling, and kissing, still pressed against the door. Then Jon's phone started to ring. It was the ring tone he had set for Arya. He fumbled as he tried to slide his still semi hard cock from Dany's wet womanhood.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck. I have to find my phone." Jon was down on the ground looking for his phone when Dany tapped him on the shoulder.

"It is in your shoe over there. On top of the dresser." Dany pointed one slender arm in the dressers direction.

Jon hobbled over to the dresser and dug his phone out of his shoe.

"Arya!" He panted.

"Jon? Is that you? Have you been running?" Arya asked.

"Um, no. I was not running." Jon blushed.

"Then you were doing something else then. One guess that I know what it is." Jon knew that she was smiling.

"Why are you calling Little Wolf? Are you almost home?" He asked. His voice was almost normal.

"I'm in Seattle. But Jon I don't know if I can come home. I know Gendry is there. I'm afraid." Her voice was hushed.

Jon took a deep breath and counted to ten. He had so many things he wanted to say. He had words of anger, fear, love and disgust to say to her. He thought of which emotion would be best to use on her now. He chose his anger, because that is what was closest to the surface.

"You don't think you can come hime?" He boomed into the phone. "What the fuck do you mean? Do you have any idea what you have put everyone, and I mean everyone, through? Fucking Christ Arya do you only think of yourself?"

"Jon I."

"I don't care what your reasons are." His anger was taking control of him.

"But Jon I murdered someone!" She cried into the phone.

"And so have I. I killed the one person I needed most in the world. I killed my own mother!" He screamed into the phone. He said the one this g he had never told another person before, to the one person who would know what he felt.

"That's not the same." Arya yelled back.

"No its worse. My mother had none nothing wrong, and yet my birth caused her death. So do not try and tell me that you think what you have done is the worst thing a person can ever do. I have lived everyday knowing that I murdered my mother. Now you suck it the fuck up and get your ass here as fast as that car you are in can make it. If not I will hunt you down and pull you by your hair back fucking home." He hung up and threw his it across the room and yelled in a wordless scream of pain and loss. He crumpled to the floor and shook with his anger.

"Jon." He heard Dany approach him. She knelt down and touched him. "Jon it's okay. You didn't kill your mother, any more than I did mine." She wrapped her arms around him. He knew that she thought he was crying but he was not. He was shaking with rage. Arya had pulled shit like this one to many times. She had always s run when things got rough and she had to deal with her emotions. When they were young she would always run to him. But now she saw him as a person to hold her back. Someone who made her deal with things. He knew that she was running away from him as well as from everyone else. But a part of him always would be her safe refuge.

"I am alright." He said when he had finally got his anger under control. He lifted his head up and looked at Dany and saw the concern etched in her breath taking, beautiful face. "Hey I said that you would be able to take a shower. Want to come and enjoy one with me?"

He let her pull him up and they headed into the bathroom and start the shower.

Sansa

Sansa was with Sandor when they had gotten a call from Myrcella that Gendry had gotten on a jet right after he was discharged from the hospital and was headed to Winterfell to confront Arya. Sansa wished she could go with him, but she knew that her place was with Sandor. She knew that Jon, Gendry and the other two big brothers could keep Arya there and soon bring her home. Sansa didn't know when home stopped being Winterfell and started being here in the South.

She had gotten her admission letter from all the state schools from on the west coast, from Washington State to UCLA. The one that she was thinking of going to was Stanford. They had everything that she wanted. It was a great school there and she knew that she wanted to go there over all the others. The thing that she needed to know was if Sandor would come with her. She fully intended to marry the stupid, reckless, handsome man. But she was not sure she would do it right away. She would want to finish collage. She wanted to become a doctor in psychology and help victims, like she had been, like Margery was learning how to be. It would be hard work, long hours, but worth it. She just had to break the news to everyone.

She was in her room at the house when she had a knock at her door. Bran came in and sat down on her bed.

"Sansa there is something I have to tell you. Something that no one in the family knows."

"What is it Bran?" She asked.

"Something happens to me, has been happening to me since we moved here. Jojen says I learned to see when I got here. I don't know if it is true or not. I seem to be able to see the future. I saw so many things over the year. I don't know if I can tell you all of it. But I knew things before they happened. Things that had happened to you and everyone else. At first I thought it was the tumor, then the bogus cancer. But now I am not so sure. I think I have always been able to do this. That is why I was better then everyone at so many things. I knew what would happen so I would get things right." Bran told this all to Sansa and she sat there and took it all in.

"So what you are telling me is that you have seen the future and saw the bad things, but you didn't tell us? You could have prevented so much." Sansa looked at Bran and simply knew he was telling the truth.

"Well, I, I didn't know how to tell you all what was happening. I didn't know if any of you would believe me. Come on Sansa if I would have told you before the party at Blackwater that I _saw_ Joffery fucking someone at the party would you have believed me? Or would you have thought that I was just saying something to badmouth Joffery?" Bran asked. Sansa considered his words then spoke.

"At the time I would have said that you were trying to break us up by badmouthing him." She admitted.

"So how could I have told you, any of you, what I knew without everyone thinking I was making it up?" Bran demanded.

"Damn you and your logic." Sansa said.

"You have mother to thank for that. Once she gets over her emotions she is the most logical person in the world." Bran said with a shrug.

"You know Arya thinks she is so much like father, because she looks like him and the Starks of old, but she has more of mother in her then the rest of us. I think mother should be down there." Sansa said.

"Are you crazy? They can't stand to be in the same room together when their emotions control them." Bran said.

"But who is to say that what they need is not each other. We all know that mother was in love with our uncle Bran before he died and met father. She knows what it is like to make the tough decisions that Arya needs to make." Sansa reasoned.

"Well then, with that said, I guess that you are right. We need to have a talk with mother and see if she can get North ASAP!"

The two Stark children walked out of Sansa's room in search of herd parents. They looked in their bedroom, in the study, the kitchen and the office. Sansa and Bran had run out of places to look. Bran sat down at the kitchen table and looked out at the backyard. He saw something that he never expected to see. His father and mother were outside smoking a joint.

"Sansa I found them." Bran nodded his head to the backyard.

Her eyes flicked from the counter to the window. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of her parents smoking pot in the backyard. She knew that they had dabbled in collage, but not now. They were always so straight laced. She remembered that they had gone ape shit when they caught Bran doing the same thing not long ago. So it was a shock to her that her parents were doing just that.

"What the fuck!" Sansa called out.

"I am betting that they needed to relax." Bran said.

She shook her head and walked to the back door. She opened the door and walked out into the back porch. She cleared her throat and that small pipe that her parents had been passing back and forth vanished. Her parents turned scarlet from being caught smoking pot.

"Um, mom, dad, Bran and I have been talking and we have something we, and mostly I mean Bran, would like to share with you." Sansa said. She looked at Bran and told him to tell them what he had been experiencing.

Bran sat down and told their parents what he had told Sansa, but he elaborated more on the visions. She watched as her parents lit up the said pipe they had been hiding and her mother took a hit off it. Catelyn handed it to Ned. He took a hit off it and to the utter shock of Sansa he handed the loaded pipe to Bran and he took the lighter and lit up as well. Sansa declined when Bran tried to pass the pipe to her. She was shocked, but in a way it was all legal. Her parents were adults and to the eyes of the law, Bran did have a medical condition that allowed him the use of weed. She had no excuse so didn't try it.

They all sat in silence as their parents digested all that Bran had said. Sansa knew that it was all a lot that they had to take in. She felt the same way they did, but she had believed Bran right off the bat. She waited for one of them to say something. Finally after fifteen minutes they both spoke at the same time.

"Bran what do you mean?" Ned had said.

"You saw all these things and didn't tell us?" Ned asked.

Sansa sat back and let him deal with all this. Bran tried to contain the damage, but he couldn't on his own. They both were getting to agitated over Bran's revelation to grasp the meat of the matter.

"Parents!" Sansa boomed over their barrage of questions. "I believe Bran and I think what he is saying it true. Now moving on. What are we going to do about Arya?" Sansa's harsh tone brought them back a little.

"We know that Jon has things well in hand." Ned began.

"But not well enough. I have _seen_ that things will not be all right until Mother goes North and decides to confront her. We all know that Arya might look like father, but Arya is more Tully then any of us. Family, Duty, Honor are the words that house Tully have live by for hundreds of years and it had been drilled into our heads, Arya more then the rest of us. You have a duty to go to her mother." Bran said to Catelyn Stark.

"Bran, do not take that tone with your mother." Ned snapped.

"You need to do something father. I know that you don't want to push her away like Lyanna, but she is not your sister, she is ours and I think that we know her better then you. So what the hell are you going to do?" Sansa demanded.

Her patents sat there opened mouthed. But she and Bran were united. Sansa knew that her parents could fuck things up with Arya if they did the wrong thing. If they did nothing she was going to know that what she had done was something she could always do. She could run away whenever things got hard. But if they threw the book at her she would never forgive her parents and she would fight them and be lost to them forever as well. It was a thin line that they were walking and it was cowardly to foster this responsibility off on Jon to make Arya understand the rules of Family, Duty, Honor.

"She is your child, and she needs you. Think about it parents. If this happened to you, what would you do? Who would you go to?" Bran asked.

"I don't know what I would do, to be honest." Catelyn said in a small voice.

"I would have gone to my father. He always had answers. To everything." Ned said. "If he was here I think he would say the same thing that the kids are. Arya needs her mother Cat. You have to go to her." Ned took her hand and looked her in the eyes.

"So it is decided?" Cat looked at her children and husband. They all nodded. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "I just wanted to smoke a little pot this evening. It's been over twenty years since I have done this and I just wanted to relax!"

"Don't worry Cat. I don't think that Roberts's jet will be able to come here in time for you not to be able enjoy your high." Ned patted her hand and then he lit up the pot pipe and took a hit and passed it to his wife. The two children stood up and walked away from their parents so they could "unwind" in peace.

Once in the house the two kids walked back into the kitchen and looked at their parents threw the window.

"Would you have ever thought they would be doing that? It's like we are the parents and they are the children." Sansa said leaning against the counter.

"I know. I think that as we get more grown up they are going to become more childlike." Bran said.

"Do you think we could blackmail them with this? Later on?" Sansa asked. She gave her brother a slightly evil smile.

"Fuck yes I do. First thing I'm going to ask for with this insolent is to have Mers over for the night." He said smiling brightly at her.

"To do it?" Sansa asked.

He threw a sponge from the sink at her and rolled his eyes.

"I know I'm the only one of us old enough to be having sex that isn't. Don't tell me about it. I was non functional from the waist down for much of my relationship. But things are changing!" He walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs to the bedrooms.

"I didn't need to know that!" Sansa yelled after him.

"Then you shouldn't have joked about it!" He called back.

Sansa turned her back on her parents and walked up to her room and started on her homework that she had neglected since Sandor got hurt. She was so behind; she didn't know what she was supposed to be doing. She was going to just take it all to the hospital Sandor would know what is going on and together they would be able to do it together.

Myrcella

In the last week and the week leading up to prom Myrcella had not been able to help Helen get any planning on for the wedding. Myrcella had decided that she and Helen should go out and pick out a wedding dress, the date was fast approaching and Helen still didn't have her dress yet.

They went to Panache Bride. Helen wanted to find a dress that looked good on the frame of her older body. The sales girls started salivating when they were told that the budget was between 5,000 dollars to 10,000 dollars. Robert had told her to get the dress of her dreams and she was going to do it. With Myrcellas help of course.

As they sat in a private waiting room Myrcella decided to ask Helen a question.

"What should I do when Argon goes out on the road with his record deal? I love him and want to be with his, but the time apart is going to be hard. What should I do?"

"Have you talked to Argon about this?" Helen asked.

"Not really. We both know that I have two years left in school. I want to go with him, and he wants to be here with me, but his contract has them going to Seattle to make their album. We don't know how long this will take. I wish there was a way that we could be together." Before Helen could offer her words of wisdom the door flew opened and there was a blizzard of white coming into the room.

There were dresses in all shape and style. Slim plain dresses, others with so much glitter and lace that Helen was lost under it all. After three hours of picking out the ones they didn't like and trying those on Helen had narrowed it down to three they did.

They were all designed by Vera Wang. The first one was a strapless dress with a tight fitting bodice that had some rousing at the top and then went down to the hips and filled out to make it look like flower pestles. It fit her amazingly. The second one was also a fitted bodice, but there was no adornment to it. But it flared out at the hips and it was beautiful. Helen said it hid her giant hips, but she was not to happy how her boobs looked in it. They were popping out a little too much. The third one was a one shoulder dress that had flowers sewn on and a slight embellishment at the top to the hips where there were even more flowers done in a thin fabric. Out of all the dresses Myrcella liked this one the best. It didn't have a huge puff skirt like the other two and made Helen look years younger.

"Helen I think that this is the one." Myrcella said as Helen tried it on for the third time.

"You think so Myrcella?" Helen asked as she did a small spin in the mirror. The slight train settled behind her and she knew that Helen loved this dress, that it was the one.

"Yeah. You look so beautiful, mom." Myrcella said. Tears sprung to Helens eyes and they both started crying.

"I see this is the one." The sales assistant said. "And this one is half off. So it is only 4,500. A great price for such an amazing dress. Now there might be some alterations that we will have to make, but that shouldn't take to long."

"I will take this one." Helen wiped the tears of joy from her eyes and once she was out of the dress she hugged Myrcella to her chest. They walked out of the store.

"Myrcella I want you to be one of the bridesmaids. I had planned on asking Catelyn and the two Stark girls as well, but with how things are going on with them all I don't know if they will be able to do it."

"Helen I would love to be one of your bridesmaids. Oh this means that we get to go shopping again! I really need this to not think about everything that is going on." Myrcella smiled at her and Helen slid her arm around her soon to be legal daughters shoulder.

"What do you think your colors should be? Your father wants black and yellow, for House Baratheon, but then you all would look like bumble bees. I was thinking of maybe some kind of pale yellow, or lavender. I don't know. I think I should let you and the others decide if they want to be in the wedding of course. I know Ned is and Gendry. But who else your father had planned to be in it I don't know. I think Renly and Tyrion maybe, but that's just my guess."

"Oh Renly and Tyrion would be perfect. I know that the uncles would love it." Myrcella said as they made their way to the car. "And I think that the others would love to be in the wedding. I know Sansa will. She loves this sort of thing. Catelyn would be the best maid of honor in the world."

"Well that's settled. I can ask two of the three of them. I know that Arya is going to be hard to get in touch with for a while." Helen shocked Myrcella by talking the fact Arya ran away so calmly. "But I have a feeling that Gendry will bring her home."

"But the North is her home, why would she come back here?" Myrcella asked.

"Because, for the time being this is where the love for her is." Helen said matter of fact and let the matter drop.

They drove to the Keep and Helen stopped them from getting out of the car for a moment. She looked at Myrcella for a moment then smiled at her.

"You asked me what you should do about Aegon going to Seattle and you staying here. All I can say my dear is talk to him, lead with your heart and anything you decide will be the right choice. No matter what anyone else thinks. I will back your heart's decision to my last breath." Helen opened her arms to Myrcella and she fell into her mothers arms.

There was so much more she wanted to confide in her, so many things she wanted to talk to her about. Nut until she knew for sure she wouldn't voice her concerns just yet. Not even to her mother , not even to the love of her life. They got out of the car and went in search of Robert to tell him they found a dress and under budget, something he would be amazed over.

Arya

She had been pretty shook up after her conversation with Jon. She had been a little freaked out when she had learned that he felt that he had murdered his mother. She knew it wasn't true, but all the same she knew that she wasn't alone in the family carrying this guilt and hurt inside them over ending a life to bring life into the world.

She was ten miles from Winterfell and for some reason she wasn't scared any more to face Jon, and Gendry. They would be there to sooth her and love her and tell her that things would be all right. As she drove onto the driveway of Winterfell she felt the strength to go to the house. It was full dark, but she could see the house blazing in the distance, like a beacon, drawing her home.

She pulled up to the front door, despite the fact that she could have used the garage and parked the car there and then walked into the kitchen. But part of her wanted to make a grand entrance. She was a Stark of Winterfell. She would prove it by walking in there and keeping her head held high. She knew that what she had done was wrong, but she would face everything they had to throw her.

Arya gathered all her strength around her and opened her car door. She stepped out of the car and into the cool, crisp air. She inhaled deeply and knew that she was home, safe and that she would be okay. On her drive home she had come to turns with what had happened. She knew that killing Jaqen had been the right thing. She walked to the door and it opened it.

Rodrik was at the door waiting for her. None of her brothers were there, or Gendry. She had expected all of them to be there to lecture her and yell at her. But there was only Rodrik. She was thankful for small miracles. She was unsure whether she would be able to deal with all of them there to see her, all at once.

"The prodigal daughter returns." Rodrik said as he opened his arms to her. She walked up the rest of the stairs and fell into his arms. Rodrik had always been like a father to her and she needed his love at the moment. She wasn't sure that she would be getting any love from anyone in the family so openly for a long time.

"I have missed you Rodrik. I have missed you so much." She hugged him back like her life depended on it.

"There is some stew made from the garden out back and a cow that we butchered last week. Stuff from Winterfell to feed you. It will make you strong for the boys. And I have to warn you they are not the only ones waiting for you." Rodrik lead her into the house and took her into the kitchen.

As he ladled up the stew for her and set a hunk of fresh baked crusty bread beside her spot she looked at him.

"What do you mean? Who else is here?" She asked as she lifted the spoon to her lips and took a bite.

"We got word that your mother is on her way. Robb went to meet the plane. Gendry is passed out from the trauma of it all, and Jon has been occupied from the moment Mr. Gendry arrived with his nurse." Rodrik smiled at that last statement.

"Who is this nurse?" Arya asked, not liking anyone being with Gendry, in a plane for over six hours.

"Her name is Dany, but don't get your dander up Little Wolf. She only has eyes for Jon." Rodric smiled at her.

"Wait, her name is Dany? I got a text from Sansa saying that a nurse named Dany was his secret girlfriend. Do you think she is That Dany?" Arya took the opportunity to shovel food into her mouth. She could not remember tasting anything so good in her life. In the back of her mind she registered that Rodrik had said her mother was on her way, but this matter of Jon and a girl was a more pressing matter on her mind.

"I would say she is the one and the same. She had admitted that she was the nurse to Bran when he was sick, that is how they met. Bran, even while sick was playing matchmaker. Who knew that the boy would find Jon his soul mate?" Rodrik chuckled.

"I think you said something earlier, but I am not so sure that I heard you right. You said that Robb had gone to get mother, but that can't be right. She can't be on her way here." Arya said.

"I am afraid that she is lass. She should be touching down any moment now." Rodrik smiled at her again.

"Where is Theon?" She demanded trying to change the subject.

"He is playing ASOIAF. He is trying to get away from the Bastard Bolton in the game. He has almost done it too. Now I know that he would love to be here to joke with you and make you feel like shit all at the same time, but he loves that game. Damn Tommen and Rickon for showing us all that game." Rodrick shook his head.

"Wait you play to? I knew that my brothers did, but I didn't think you did as well." Arya tore off a piece of bread and swiped it on the bottom of the bowl.

"Aye, I play, and so does your father, but he is just a lowly hedge knight, wandering around the country. But don't tell anyone. He would be embarrassed if any of the others knew." Rodrik had turned scarlet and even his whiskers had pinked up.

"Don't worry; dad's secret is safe with me." She finished off the bread and the stew. "That was the best thing I have ever eaten. Now I need a shower. How long will I have before Mother is here and I will have to face the music?"

"An hour. I will hide Sansa's car and have one of the boys check it out. I know she must be worried about it." Rodrik smiled at her.

"Oh gods. That fucking car. I think that it needs an oil change and maybe a nice wash and buff. Sansa will kill me if it goes back to her looking like this. Oh it will also need a detailing." She stood from the chair and stretched.

"Go take that shower, you need one. And don't worry; no one will know that you are here until I tell them you are." He gave her a hug and wrinkled his nose at her. She knew he was playing, amd she loved him for it.

"Rodrik I love you. Your are the only person that I think of as a father, besides my own father. You are the one that I think I needed to see the most. I don't know how to deal with killing someone." She hugged the man to her and he returned her hug.

"I know what it is like to kill Little Wolf. It is not something that will ever leave you. But I will tell you that the ones who deserve a death are the ones who make it easier to dispatch. And from everything that I have heard that Jaqen guy was one that deserved it. You did what you did out of love and duty. I have done the same thing many times in the past. It doesn't make you a bad person. But running and hurting those who love you is something to be ashamed of." Rodrik locked his arms around her as she started to pull away during his speech. She knew that he was right, but hearing what was right wasn't always easy to hear.

"I, Rodrik, no one else understand. I feel so horrible. I keep seeing his head explode in my dreams. I keep seeing his smile before I blew him away. Like he didn't believe that I would do it. But I did. I saw Gendry dead at his feet and I knew that I had to do something." Arya said.

"I know Wolf. I have the same dreams about some of the men I killed. It doesn't make it easier, but it shows us that we are still human, that we still feel. Never forget that feeling. It was either him, or you. I for one am glad that it was you that came out on top. I am glad that you stopped him." Rodrik embraced her again, and his words soothed her guilty conscience.

"It is thanks to your teaching that I had such a good shot. It only took one bullet to get the job done, just like you taught me." She said with her head pressed against his shoulder.

"You did good Arya. You did a good job. One thing I always told you is that of you pick up a gun you should be ready to finish the job you started out doing. I had hoped none of you would ever have to really do that on a human, but I am glad you remembered."

"I just thought that you were talking about animals. We went hunting, I remember the first time I killed a deer. It was horrible when you made me plunge the blade into his throat, spilling his blood, but he deserved a proper death. You taught me how to make a clean kill. If Jaqen would not have fallen after the first shot I would have finished the kill."

"Good girl. Now go shower." He pushed her to the kitchen door and she took her escape and ran to her bedroom.

Once she had left the great entryway she took the grand stairway two at a time to her room. She knew what she had left in there. Her dresser and bed and desk should be there. All that was missing was her clothes and books, and wall hangings. What she had not expected to find was a human body in her bed. It was Gendry and she knew that Jon had put him in here and not in a guestroom for a reason. Jon had put him here to punish her. But it wouldn't work. After her talk with Rodrik she felt better. The only thing that remained was the guilt. She was glad that her mother was coming. She had some explaining to do and she knew that she would only have the power to do it at home in Winterfell.

She tiptoed past Gendry. She stopped at the bathroom door and just looked down at him. He was beautiful. She had never realized this before. She didn't even care that he was slobbering on her pillow. She only felt love swell inside her for him. She felt a stab of guilt shoot through her. She had left him when he had needed her most. And when he should have been home resting from dying and his surgery he was here, for her. She didn't know how to repay him for all that he had done for her, all that he was still doing for her. She loved him; she knew that with all her heart.

She shook her head, trying to make as little noise as possible. She knew that Gendry needed his rest. She would need his love and support when her mother got here. But now she would let him rest. He would need that more then her love.

Gendry

He awoke to the sound to running water. He had been pretty much dumped in a room when he first arrived to Winterfell. He had felt something between Dany and Jon from the moment they had met Jon on the tarmac when they first arrived, and then he pretended to pass out when they had had their talk in the car. He knew that they were into each other, but he just hadn't realized how much until their talk.

When they had finally arrived at Winterfell he had been ready to pass out from the pain. Dany had seen to his care and administrated a shot of morphine that put him cleanly under. He had slept for seven hours from his calculations. Then he had heard water running somewhere and he woke up.

A sweet voice floated to him from the opened bathroom door. The only person who how knew who had a voice like that was Arya. He tried to sit up quickly, but his shoulder protested and he had to sit up slowly, like a true invalid. He swung his legs off the bed and that motion sent a short of pain to his shoulder. He gave a soft groan of pain, but knew that he must continue on. Everything in him wanted him to make it to the bathroom. To see her and make sure she was real.

He made his slow progress to the bathroom. He stood there in the doorway and he knew that she was in there. He wanted nothing more then to go in the shower with her, but he knew that he couldn't with his stitches. So he did the only thing that he could think to do. He went back to her bed and took off all his clothes. It hurt him, but he did it all on his own.

He was lying on the bed naked, when the shower stopped and he pretended to be asleep. He knew that she would see through this as soon as her eyes were on him. But he wasn't ready for the confrontation that he knew was coming. He was mad as hell at her. She could have done things so differently, but she had run from him and his love. Again. Yet his body needed her more then his anger wanted to yell at her.

If this had been the first time he would have given her some leeway, but it wasn't and they both knew it.

He pretended to snore as he heard the shower stop. He knew that she would come out of the bathroom in nothing but a towel. He was getting the picture ready in his mind, when he peeked out his semi opened eye memory become a reality. It was better then he pictured, and it took all his willpower not to leap off the bed and take him in his arms, or rather arm. He fake slept and she knew it. He watched as she crossed to a dresser and took out bland white panties, a cotton shirt and put them on a desk chair. He watched her dry off herself, and then she slid on the plain underwear. He had never seen a more erotic site then Arya putting on that plane pair of panties. She still had not put on the shirt that she had collected. Her tight high bouncy breasts stood there at attention. Gendry wanted nothing more then to get out of the bed and go to her and run his hungry tongue along those raw peeks. Bur he could not. He was pretending to be asleep. It would not do to get out of bed now. Arya slid the worn t-shirt over her head and watch her walk over to his bead.

"I know you are awake. Don't try to hide that from me." She said.

Gendry pretended to still sleep until he felt the mattress shift in weight and she was sitting beside him. He held his breath, knowing she was going to touch him. It felt like so long since he had felt her put her skin against his. He knew that it had only been two days, but they seemed like a lifetime ago. He wanted nothing more then to reach his hand out and touch her. But he held back, this was neither the time, nor the place to cave into his wanting need for her.

So he did the one thing he could do and "woke up". He pretended to blink sleep from his eyes and focus on her. But the truth of the matter was he had had been focused on her. She was his reason for living, something he had not realized until he died.

"Gendry I am so fucking glad that you are here." Arya fell onto the bed beside him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and held him to her. For a moment he couldn't breathe. But he wrapped his good arm around her and held her close to him. He inhaled her sent and he could not remember anything smelling so good.

"I told you that I would always find you. I will always come to you. I love you so much." He kissed the top of her head. He snaked his good arm from around her and used it to tilt her face up to him. "I had thought that you would realize this by now."

"I knew that when I ran. But I just had to get everything figured out on my own. I know that I did it all wrong. I know that. But I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror without wanting to vomit." She shuddered against him and his arm wrapped tighter against her and she held him as tight as she could.

"Arya there is nothing that you couldn't tell me. I will always be here for you. No matter what you think, or say or do. I will always be here for you."

She lifted her face to him and he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but he didn't know if that was what she wanted. She saw the question in his eyes and scooted up the bed until she was within kissing distance. Their lips touched and she let him feel in one kiss everything she was feeling. He forgave her in that moment. He could feel her sorrow, her pain, her torment under the surface. But under all that he could feel her love. It was that love that he gathered around him. She loved him and he knew that he would never stop loving her.

"I love you Arya. I truly and deeply love you. I want you always to remember that." He kissed the tip of her nose. She giggled and snuggled into him.

"I know that. I have always known that. I was just scared. And I think tonight will be the worst part of this whole thing. My mother is coming. In fact she should be here any minute." She had said with her face against the good side of his neck.

"What do you mean your mother is on her way here?" Gendry asked.

"Rodrik told me that Robb had gone to the air strip to pick her up and that they would be here soon. Gods Gendry I don't want to face her. She is always like a dragon lady whenever I was in trouble as a child. It got easier once I was older. I was invisible. She didn't notice me. But this is not something I can turn insolvable over. I did a horrible thing by running. I know that. I came here so I wouldn't have my nose rubbed in it by my mother." She mumbled into his neck.

"Perhaps she will surprise you. This stunt of yours might have scared her and she is on her way here to make sure you are okay." Gendry tried to sooth her. She was eager for his touch. He only had one good arm but he used it well.

He pulled her down for a kiss and it was tender. They moved so he would not be in pain. She pulled back his covers to find him nude. He never felt naked in front of her. Je felt her shift and her panties were no longer between them. She moved to straddle his body. He was already hard for her. She rook him inner hands and moved him to her opening. Her hands shook as she guided him to her core. She slid down on him and she shuddered as they joined. Any thought of her being lost left his mind as they joined. She was soft as she moved above him. They moved together. In les time then he would have liked they were both coming. She fell on him, careful of his wound.

He knew this was a turning point in things. This love making was a apology to one another. They stayed locked together in their love and he released all his anger from her running away. He had told her he would always find her and he had kept his word. He hoped she now understood he meant every word he had said. Gendry had so much to tell her.

"Arya I love you." He said to her still form curled beside his body.

"I love you too, my stupid Bull." She said back.

She had leaned up on her elbow and looked like she had more to say, but the words never came. There was a knock at the door. Arya was scrambling to find her discarded underwear and had just got them on and threw the blankets over him when the door opened.

Jon let himself in the room before they called him to enter. Dany was behind him and he saw the way that the two gravitated to each other. Gendry suspected that they had gotten to _know_ one another while he had been sleeping. Gendry thought this was a good idea. Jon needed someone like Dany. And from what they had talked about on the plane ride to Winterfell Dany needed someone like Jon too.

"Mother is here. Arya put on some pants and come to the drawing room. And I don't mean in ten minutes. I mean now. Gendry if you want to be there to then I will help you out of bed." Jon said in a flat tone.

"I need help getting dressed." Gendry said sheepishly. Jon gave him a flat look. He came up with a lie on the fly. "I got hot while I slept."

Jon just looked at him coldly, but smiled at him. Gendry's friend was still in the after glow of good sex he was glad. He could not have taken a nearing from a passed off older brother after all that he had been through. Jon just nodded his head.

Arya sprang from the bed and put the jeans that she had been in for the last few days on. Jon came and helped Gendry up. He was slightly unsteady on his feet but he was standing. The girls left the room to wait in the hall.

"I hope you two made up." Jon said as he grabbed Gendry's boxers from the floor and helped him into them.

"We did. I see you made nice with Nurse Dany." Gendry retorted.

"Watch it Baratheon. I might be happy from hours of great sex, but never forget you are fucking my sister. If you hadn't died to protect her I'd be dragging your body around Winterfell right now." Jon said as they got him into sweat pants.

"What does a guy have to do to show his love to a Stark girl around here?" Gendry asked as they tried to get hint in a shirt. "I took a bullet for her, then died for her. Gods help Sandor. If this is how you lot treat us he is in need of some brotherly love too." They got the shirt over his head and he was presentable to the matriarch of the Stark clan.

"Just remember, no matter how many times you die for her she is my sister, and I will kill for her." Jon smiled at her as he spoke so the warning in them words wasn't so strong. They left the room and met up with the girls in the hall. The four of them walked out of the room and down stairs to meet Catelyn Stark.

"Mother she is here." Jon said as he had entered the room first.

Gendry had Arya's hand in his. He felt her tension well in her. She was clutching his hand like it was the only thing in the world that was holding her to the earth.

"I can see that Jon." Arya said as they reached the sitting room Catelyn was sitting in a straight backed armchair. Gendry thought that her face was too harsh, but then he noticed her take a deep breath and let it out. She had been worried about her daughter. That was plain on her face. Gendry was just glad that she wasn't crying. He couldn't deal with grown women crying.

"Mother I am sorry that I ran off, again, like that. But this time it was different. I needed to come home. I needed clear air to clear my head. Mother I kept seeing myself kill Jaqen. I didn't want to be a killer. I just wanted to go back to being a normal girl. But I know that will never happen. Please don't yell at me. I yelled at myself enough." Arya had walked to her mother during her speech.

Catelyn opened her arms and Arya fell into them. Gendry watched Catelyn comfort her daughter, giving her all the life and comfort that Arya had felt denied growing up. He watched as years of the neglect were melted away. Catelyn held her daughter and whispered words of love and comfort to her.

"Arya I love you. We all do. I hope that you know that you can come to me or your father with any feeling you have." Catelyn stroked her dark childs head as she spoke.

"I know that now Mother." Arya whispered to her.

"Do not think that just because I forgive you that everyone else at home has. You are still in the doghouse dear. But I will be there for you. No matter what. I will always be on your side. Never forget that." Catelyn held Arya's face between her hands. Arya just nodded. "Now go rest. I know you have had a long drive and need sleep." Catelyn kissed her on the head. Arya walked to Gendry and he took her hand.

"It is alright now." Gendry said.

"It won't be alright until I get home." She said.

"I thought Winterfell was your home." Gendry said as they walked to her bedroom.

"I realized that home was where ever my family is. Where love is. I could live anywhere as long as I had love. I love you. I am glad that you are going to be in Seattle next school year working on an album. You will be closer then. When we return here next year." She looked up, at him with such hope in her eyes and his heart soared.

Gendry pulled her down into bed and they both took off their pants and settled in to bed.

"I am glad too. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. Things would sure be dull." Gendry chuckled as he pulled the blankets over them. "Thank you Arya. For saving me." He kissed the top of her head.

"Thank you Gendry. And I love you too." He felt her drift off to sleep. Her breathing relaxed and after he got used to the sound of her breath he too fell to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is this! Three posts in a few hours time! Lol. Like I said we are almost to the point of BRAND NEW CHAPTERS! So here is this one. Hope you like it.


End file.
